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
