"Waiting Room" // Chapter I

This is a true story. True is what makes it special to me. It may be special to you also, depending on your life right now. I think we all relate to things differently. If something happened today I could feel one way. If the same thing happened tomorrow for the first time then I could feel something totally different. We just don't ever know how we will react and why to certain experiences. 

- William James Knutson

Waiting Room

For her

Chapter I

It wasn't the weekend. I asked her out for coffee or beer and we didn't do either. Her name was Mary. The most common name a girl could ever have. I asked what her favorite Disney movie was so I could bring it over to watch it. I arrived rather late on a Tuesday night. I stood at the front door. It read, "4" through the screen mesh. She greeted me at the door holding her Dachshund.

"Well, hey there!" She said with a smile on her face.

I smiled and struggled my way through the door. I was holding a laundry basket full of all the necessary technology for us to watch a pirated copy of The Fox and The Hound. Her living room was small. It reminded me of my aunt's previous apartment. To the left was a couch. A couch worn out and most likely donated to her. Scattered artwork was tacked to the wall. One significant piece was an 11" x 17" black and white print of something I couldn't make out. The entertainment center was in front of the couch. It was made of plastic and a small 19" TV rested upon a zebra print cloth at the top of this ziggurat of collected knickknacks. They cluttered the exposed shelves. I can distinctly remember one being a hunting knife, possibly a fallen relatives or something of that sort.

She offered me something to drink and introduced me to Six, the Dachshund from earlier. As I studied the room I set down the basket and let Six get a feel for me. She was a sweet pup. The barks resonated throughout the small apartment and I warned Six to be courteous to her neighbors. It's always a shame to be woken up by the yelps of a small dog.

She handed me a glass of water, "Did you find my place alright?"

"I did. Only had to turn around twice and parking was a bitch." I said with a sarcastic sigh.

As I took a sip of the tap water she said, "I notice Six has already taken a liking to you, just don't look straight into her eyes. That's why she barks at you."

I nodded. "I'll try not to. I don't really like dogs that much, but I think she can be an exception."

She smiled with her head slightly tilted. I smiled and brushed the bangs out of my hair. A haircut was long overdue.

"Do you want to go ahead and move the TV into my room and we can set up the movie?" She asked breaking the silence and the awkward tension you feel when you first spend time with someone. I love the awkward feeling though.

"Sure" I answered, "It shouldn't take too long to set up."

I reached for the laundry basket and Six licked my face as if she didn't want me to get up and leave. I looked into her small black eyes to reassure her that I'm only moving rooms and she could tag along if she wanted to. She thought about the offer for a second and nudged her nose into my elbow in agreement. I got up and followed Mary to her bedroom. The power chord to the TV she was carrying bounced softly up and down the hallway, sometimes hitting the wall with a slight thud. Six's paws clacked on the tile of the kitchen as she neared her water bowl. The hallway that led to her bedroom seemed to get narrower as I walked through it.

I entered her room and she twirled around and said, “Well, here it is. My domain.”

“It’s really tiny, but I like it. You seem very organized.”

“I try to be organized.” She exclaimed as her body retired to the side of the bed and laid the TV flat next to her.

I studied the room a bit before setting down the basket. The bed took up most of the room. It consisted of a cluster of decorative pillows that serve no purpose and a heap of blankets. The comforter was a quilt, my favorite. She had a small wicker bed side table next to where she sat. The closet had sliding doors and appeared to be wood. They were shut and next to it was a brown chair. I set down the basket into the chair and turned to her.

“What all do you have to set up?” She asked. The question seemed genuine enough, although her eyes told me otherwise. They seemed to be eager as if she only said it, because I was looking around her room and getting familiar with it.

“Well, I have to plug in your TV first of all so we can actually watch the movie. So, where is the nearest outlet?”

She pointed at the wall behind the brown chair and said, “I think there is an outlet behind the dresser. Just unplug whatever is plugged into it already if you have to.”

I dragged the dresser away from the wall and there was on outlet. Nothing was plugged into it so I turned to the basket and grabbed the PS3 out of it. Mary shuffled on the bed. She must have been taking off her socks or something. I placed the PS3 on the floor after plugging it into the outlet.

“You may need this,” she said handing me the TV with a slight laugh.

“That I do.” I laughed and set the TV upon the dresser. I set the TV up with the PS3 and dug around in the basket to find the external hard drive. After a while I found the hard drive and everything was now set up. I grabbed the remote and asked if I could take off my shoes.

“Of course, I didn't want you to wear them in the bed anyways.”

Smiling, I slipped off my shoes and sat next to her on the bed. Six crept into the room to make sure everything was under control. She sat on her bottom in front of my feet and stared up at me.

“She is trying to protect me from you” Mary said.

“Nothing to worry about here though, Six.” I said scratching behind her right ear. Six barked; she wasn't letting her guard down.

Mary got up and said, “Well, Six. I think it's time for you to go to bed. Mommy’s got to watch a movie now and it's past your bedtime.”

I waved goodnight to Six as Mary picked her up and took her to bed. Her legs kicked the air violently as she was taken away. Her bed was a small cushion on the kitchen floor next to her feeding bowls. I could hear Mary kiss Six goodnight and the light clattering of her putting dirty dishes into the sink. The faucet squeaked as the knob was twisted shut. One, two, three utensils clanged against the walls of the sink. It echoed slightly and I got lost in the sounds. I looked up and Mary already returned to the room.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

“Nothing really. I just kind of drifted off into a day dream.”  Honestly I was thinking how normal Mary appeared to be. How routine her life was, well, from what I know and can see right now.

“Well, now that Six is out of our hair we can start the movie.” Six responded with a little barking fit.

I laughed at Six's disagreement. “Sounds like a plan.”