Sunday, October 4, 2015

The Dark Horse

Amie stood in the doorway to her husband's bathroom. There he was, apparently just out of the shower, just sitting there calmly on the closed stool. Naked!
"Tony," she called out to him, "what in the world is wrong, hurry and get dressed, and lets have lunch, the kids will be over and will want to stay and visit for awhile."
He looked at her as if she were a stranger. "Who? He asked standing up and gathered a clutter of newspapers.
The kids! Sweetheart, you know who they are," Amie answered patiently taking the stuff from him and handing him a robe.  "Eddie and Ella and then of course they'll bring little Arnold along."
"Who?" Tony asked again. And Amie very patiently went on to repeat it to him as he tried to tie the belt on the plaid flannel robe.
Putting all the papers and books down Amie murmured,"Let me help you with that dear," and, then hurried to the kitchen ahead of Tony. Worriedly, she gave the room a quick once and it looked okay, but several times earlier, he had done some minor damage around the house when she'd had to go out for something or other and he'd been home alone.  And then he had turned childlike and behaved like one just as he was doing now.  He had appeared normal then the last few weeks and she had worried for nothing. 
But now somewhat heartbroken, Amie took the ham and cheese, grain bread and mayo out of the refrigerator and set the table for lunch. She'd made the iced tea earlier and that was nice and cold and she filled two glasses.
Tony suddenly stormed into the kitchen and stood stock still, then yelled "Amie, what the hell did you do to this room?"
 Startled, she cried,"Oh-- and dropped the plates she'd just gotten down from the cupboard.  Two of her beautiful luncheon plates lay shattered on the tiled kitchen floor.
"Amie, this isn't my house, where are we?" He turned around in circles with a wild look in his eyes as if he was searching to find something familiar. Amie looked at the mess on the floor, then at the man she had known and loved for several decades and now, suddenly didn't know him.  He seemed a stranger to her too.
Tony was still a very handsome man, his hair had turned white and he had lost some extra pounds so he appeared fit and trim.  He was a attorney and had a sucessful career in the attorney general's office in DC and had provided his wife and kids with a confortable life.
But now, something had gone wrong for him, and for her as well.