JANICE IS CALLED ON FOR HELP

Janice sat at her dining room table, working the newspaper daily crossword puzzle. She used to do the puzzle with Charlie. She sat to Charlie’s right because he was left handed and she right handed. It made for a good working situation.

The phone rang! Earlier than acceptable to a retired person. Not that it mattered to Janice. Few days went by that her two dogs let her sleep past daybreak.

“Hello,” she said holding the phone in one hand and a cup of dog food in the other.

“Janice, I hope I didn’t get you up. Carolyn here.”

“No the dogs did that.”

“I have sad news. Mazie said I should call you. Jared dies last night.”

Janice knew Jared was not well, but dead. “How? I thought he was on the --” She hesitated. “I guess we knew it was inevitable but not just now. How is Ellen?”

“That’s why I called. I think she would use a visit from you.”

"Why me? What can I say?” Silence. “And to be honest, Carolyn, I don’t need this.”

“Neither does Ellen.” Silence. “Janice you’ve been there. She needs you.”

Ellen needed her. Where was Ellen and the others when she needed them? Now she was to drop whatever she was doing and help Ellen.

v

Janice Faces Her Lonliness

Mazie’s call lingered in her consciousness. Why she wondered. Was it the loneliness, the boredom or the wine? Janice felt she had been kicked in the ass. Alone in her two people house she felt attacked on two fronts. A family whose evangelical roots ran wide and deep loomed in the recesses of her consciousness. The Unitarian Fellowship of which she and Charlie were founders-- now a church they worked so hard to avoid-- plagued her.

“The world is too much with us” a famous poet once said. Janice agreed.

When Charlie was alive they felt a connection with each other, with nature, with God. Charlie was the linchpin of her spiritual health. Now Charlie was gone.

Can the trinity- father, son and holy ghost exist of one is removed? Can her own trinity, Janice, Charlie and nature, exist if one is removed?

Screw Mazie! Why did she have the right to stir things up?

I Am Taking On A new Challenge. The introduction follows.

OLD PEOPLE

Janice was at loose ends with her life. Recovering from Charlie’s death was still a project in process. Or so she kept telling herself. Addiction to e-mail, Facebook and texting kept her hours and days occupied. Then came the brutal challenge from a long time, long distance friend.

Mazie called-- late one Tuesday night. Janice, annoyed at the late hour call, would have not answered anyone but Mazie. “Mazie, do you have any idea what time it is?”

“Yes I do. I am not yet senile.”

Silence

Finally Janice asked, “Something wrong?”

“Nothing with me. You I am not sure.”

Silence

“Meaning just what?”

“Really. You have to ask? All you do, Janice, is piss and moan. And to be honest we’re all sick of it.”

“Well bully for you. Do I need to remind you you still have a husband? If so consider yourself reminded. Now cut the flack and give me a little slack.”

“Slack? You act like you’re dead too. For God’s sake you’re only sixty-- sixty what? One or two? Not that it matters. What matters is that you get off your pity party and get on with your life.”

Silence

“And do exactly what?”

Silence

“Whatever the hell you want to do. You always said you wanted to write. And if I remember you used to paint. So write or paint.”

Janice wanted to hang up. Mazie asked , “Have you heard anything from the Comers lately?”

Taken aback from the swift shift Janice said, “No. Why?”

“I was reminded of them last week when I ran into someone who used to know them. I remember the last time I saw Julie-- you remember-- at Marge’s funeral. She was so full of stories about what she and Marge did when they were you ng. She had us in stitches. She is a real character.”

The conversation ended on a high note and Janice was glad she had answered. It was always good to talk to Mazie.