Anne knows that Alberta is afraid to stay home by
herself so she makes Alberta walk and walk and walk in the park, up the street,
down the street, in the mall, through the mall, around the mall, to the café,
into the café, order a tea, drink a tea.
She makes Alberta walk and walk and walk in the park, up the street,
down the street, in the mall, through the mall, around the mall, to another
café, into the café, order a tea, drink a tea.
She makes Alberta sit and stand and walk and stand and sit and walk and
walk and stand and sit and take a bus and walk some more and stand and sit and
walk and take the subway and look in the windows and walk and stand and sit and
stand and walk until the two of them are exhausted.
“There,”
thinks Anne. “Almost safe to go
home.” She makes Alberta call someone,
anyone, everyone, leave messages, check messages, walk a bit, sit and read,
stand and walk and sit and walk and stand and walk and sit and walk and “Enough!”
thinks Anne. “Tired enough,
finally. Sleep is imminent.”
“I’m
tired,” thinks Alberta. “And I want to
kill myself.”
Run and sit
and stand and run and run and stand and sit and run and run and run and stand
and run and run and sit and stand and run and stand and sit and run and run and
run and stand and take the subway and walk some more.
“Tired
now,” thinks Anne. “It is safe to go
home.”
“I’m
tired,” thinks Alberta. “And I want to
cry.”
“This is
good,” thinks Anne. “I can deal with
crying.”
“Maybe I’ll
just cut my arm open instead,” thinks Alberta.
Run and sit
and jog and stand and run and run and walk and stand and sit and walk and sit
and stand and run and run and run and
“Oh shit, I know!” thinks Anne.
She takes them to the club to work out.
“Why didn’t I think of this before?”
Lift weights
and jog and step and stretch and walk and run and walk and stretch and cycle
and run and lift weights and stretch and walk and run and play squash and run
and walk and stretch and swim and stretch and cycle and run and job and walk
and stretch.
“I’m tired,”
thinks Alberta. “I want to sit in the
steam room.”
“Thank
god,” thinks Anne. “By all means, let us
sit in the steam room.”
Anne sits
in the steam feeling the water bead on her arms, her legs, her stomach, her
face, and her back. She knows that Alberta
is enjoying this too. Or at least would
enjoy it if she weren’t sleeping so soundly.
This is good. Anne is strong and
carries the sleeping Alberta home, then tucks her in with Bear.
Alberta is
dreaming while Anne makes dinner. Anne
has only the occasional winking blinking glimpses of the dreams. She is trying to ignore this intrusion. Anne sees her own activity playing back to
her in snippets. Of course. Alberta is dreaming of Anne.
“Sorry I’m
late,” I say, then I notice it’s Anne and not
“A little
sleepy. Long day. Dinner’s almost ready.”
“I was
worried about you being alone all afternoon.
Sorry I was so late.”
“I was
fine.”
“Nothing
bad happen? I tried to call but there
was no answer.....” I continue to check
for damage. Anne’s a wily one, covering
for Alberta more than she should.
“Worked
out. I think I pulled something in my
calf.”
We are
talking on different levels, of course.
I look deep into Anne’s eyes, no hint of Alberta. None.
She’s gone.
“See
anything?” Anne doesn’t know I know.
“Just my
big nose. Were your eyes always so
dark?”
“Of
course. That’s how I knew I was an
alien. Navy blue eyes.”
“Don’t
remember seeing that on The X-Files.”
“People
would riot. Dinner’s ready. I’ll be back in a sec. Just got to wash up.” She heads to the bathroom.