'Rebirth' - Chapter Three
by Tiffin
© 1999 Tiffin, all rights reserved
Four months of the black abscess followed Jorge's death. Anna barely remembered the funeral, reading of the will, meeting Jorge's daughter, nor friends and co-workers stopping by to check on her during those months.
There were no gentle caresses to the oceans breezes, the sun stood colorless against the wilting flowers, no music to birds silently fluttering in the garden. Books by great authors turned into meaningless pixel dots. Food slid upon the tongue untasted. Sleep hid in shadows of the bedroom. Anna's life spiraled to the tune of the abscess; it was her best friend, ardent lover, gifted mentor, and her only protector.
'Ugh, that's sour!" Quickly pouring the glass of milk into the sink, running the cold water over the clouts of milk, Anna's eyes looked about the kitchen. "What the hell?"
Papers littered the counter, the wastebasket overflowed, a stench of rotten food assaulted Anna's sense of smell, curtains pulled tight blocking out the light of day. Turning slowly from the counter, stepping over the broken glass scattered about the floor Anna thought "I'm having a nightmare. I'll wake up in a second, share this with Jorge and we will have a good laugh." The pain doubled Anna over as she retched in fear. An anguished scream filtered over Anna's heart. "This is no dream, Jorge is dead. I'm not."
Collapsing in the spot she stood, Anna slept for the first time since Jorge's death. No dreams, no nightmares, only blessed healing sleep.
It took Anna a week to get the house clean and spotless. The filth she had been living in needed old fashioned elbow grease and buckets of hot water with tons of suds. A faint smile of satisfaction was on Anna's face as she took in the final check of the house. Fresh cut bouquet of tulips, daisies, roses and lilacs filled vases in various rooms with their tantalizing fragrance adding to the charm of lemon oil polished into the furniture undaunted by dust. Drapes tied back, the sun sparkled and danced over the blues, reds, and greens of the Persian rugs and waxed wooden parquet floors. Open windows brought salty cooling breezes bouncing around the rooms. Twitters of wrens, chirps of cardinals, robin's whistles, and occasional caw of the raven played though the screens covering the windows. Notes of Chopin's piano concert Fantasie tickled Anna's ears. Anna almost missed hearing the phone's insistent ringing.
Rushing to reach the phone it still took her five rings to answer it. "Hello." Trying not to sound breathless from the short dash "Yes, I'll be here. Yes, it will be nice to see you again." Placing the phone back in its cradle Anna mused over why Jorge's daughter planned to visit.
Stepping to the kitchen, Anna grabbed a pen to write out a grocery list for the visitor due to arrive next week from Egypt.