Chapter Six

In a moment of clarity, I heard those around me speaking…words swirled and faded in and out…”did you see her?” “Yes!” The words faded and echoed in the bright light surrounding me in a warm embrace. Their voices and the words behind them wafted in and out of my ears and reverberated through my mind. I was inundated with fragments of sounds, bits and pieces rolling across the audible spectrum. “Long ugly toes.” “Landing strip.” “Dry chapped skin.”

Then in a moment of long silence, there was an unearthly calm and not a word was uttered. Then the words came crashing over my like waves of rushing waters. “Smelly closet.” “Body odor.” “Hide under the covers.” “Marry for money, not love.” “Do me.”

And again, there was a long white silence with shades of gray overlapping the edges of my vision and the words faded from view as I stood before the crowd gathered in the lobby.

Then it started again, “Greedy.” “Money hungry.” “Pompous and selfish.” On and on the sounds and words came and battered my nearly shattered eardrums. They knew her and she was the object of their discussions. “It’s all about me.” “Don’t trust.” “Hideous mole.” “Clown make-up.” "Wrinkles on her face." "Really, really starting to look old."

Finally, I couldn’t take any more of the noise and covering my ears with my hands, I ran towards the light and the quietness within. I knew in the back of my mind that their words would go on and on and every time that they see her, they will be reminded of the words and they will come back to them and haunt my ears again.

“We held hands and we exchanged bands and practically lived off of the land.”
“And the leaves all fell down and our crops turned brown”
“And who’d ever thought this is how it would end for you and me.”