his daughter finally fell asleep

she catnapped usually

if she slept for more than tenfifteen minutes it was something

shed been asleep nearly an hour

he hoped that it would somehow rejuvenate hermake her feel a bit little better

sleep was grace

he looked across her as she lay in a hospital bed in the sunroom at the rear of her house

outdoors beyond the windows the wind chimes moved they soundedthey were muted but he could make them out they pealed as one might sing a lullaby to a child

                                               he cocked his head looking beyond them  the small potted decorative plants below the wisteria growing in the woodframed awning above the line of a brightgreen and hued bamboo hedge behind 

        he saw no evidence of breeze  a breath of wind

still the chimes moved and sang the slender metal tubes dangling crystals threaded seashells and slender driftwood sticks

       they playedwere strummed by unseen fingers a sheer presence foreboding perhaps but not evil  ancient  persistent 

            a patient presence

reminding himit reminded him   when he was a boy when his family lived with his grandmother his mothers mother

there was a knock at the door

he went to the door

no one was apparent

his grandmother sitting in the livingroom her difficult leg up on an worn ottoman asked him who knocked

I dont see anyone Gramma

You see no one?

I dont Gramma

there was another knock at the door

Do you see anyone?

No Gramma No one  he went to open the door

NO! she bellowed she frightened him NO! Get away from the door, Joe! Do not open it!

I could . .

. . NO! Leave it alone, come away from there, do not open it. her rheumy eyesslightly distended by a glandular condition fixed him in place

he did not defy her

she glaredhe didnt think she was glaring at him

he didnt open the door 

the way her eyes looked hurt the inside of his eyes 

                                                      an old woman down the street who was from Poland where his grandmother was born was treating her

he was allowed to walk alone to get her medicine he always gave the old woman two warm loaves of bread his grandmother baked

they didnt see doctors

                        she healed them she cared for the neighbourhood treated them set broken bones cured maladies made poultices salves elixirs  medicines

he couldnt pronounce her last name too Polish so he called her Good Witch that tickled her  she pinched his cheek and sent him on his way

he did not open the door

later the next day his mother took him aside and told him that Gramma didnt want him to open the door because she believed Death was knocking  if he opened it  someone would have died

Someone

Yes.

Someone in the house

Yes.

to this day the house he lives in doesnt have a speakeasy or door peek if there is a knock he doesnt answer it

hed been asked why he does not answer his door he defends itsays hes too busy he didnt hear it he wasnt expecting anyone  I aint wasting my time

And what if it is Opportunity knocking?

Yah an whatif Death is dressed to pass as Opportunity

2249,  Monday,  27  1. 20

1157,  Reggae Friday,  3  7. 20