The early morning silence broke by a loud bang which was heard
throughout the small, one bedroom apartment. Helen, startled, jumped down the high bed. That was one luxury she indulge herself with these days; having this new mattress that was supposed to be good and soothing for someone like her with back and neck problem. The dog began barking. One wondered how a small dog like Miss Daisy could have such a loud bark; and a big cat like Tony could be so quiet and aloof. Helen called Tony ghost, because she never knew where he was, and he always snuck on her!
Without putting her robe on, she began walking through the apartment. As she left the bedroom, she began putting the light switches on. Now the whole apartment was engulfed in light. Nothing seemed put of place. The entrance door was closed; the metal stick that she always put under the lock of the front door was in place. She had seen it in an advertisement on television for securing the house and had bought it. The windows seemed untouched. She thought loud: "What was the sound?" She went to the kitchen, last place, away from bedroom to search; Miss Daisy following her, Tony hiding somewhere. The little fluorescent lamp she had installed it herself at the top of the kitchen sink had fallen into the sink and over the dirty dishes from the night before.
"Come on kiddos, no big deal!" she said that loud to her dog and cat which she knew was around but was not showing himself. She put back the lamp and tried to match the holes with the two nails. She looked at the microwave clock, it was 2.20 in the morning.
As she was walking back to the bedroom, a hesitation came over her in the living room. "I know I can't fall asleep anymore! I never can..." She walked back to the kitchen, Miss Daisy right by her feet, so much so that she almost stepped on her. She made some coffee, lit a cigarette and returned to the living room. She sat on the one sofa that she had; not that she could not buy another one, but the living room was so small that any more furniture would make it look so crowded. She waited for coffee to stop percolating. Miss daisy jumped on and sat next to her, Very soon, the dog was sleep and even snoring. She was a little Shi T Zue , black and white. Her back had three heart shape patterns. They were black color with a few white here and there. Her long ears were mostly black with a few streaks of white; one ear had more black in it than the other. She was a beautiful dog with impressive, big, and black eyes, as if they were speaking to you. Helen got her only a year and half ago from a breeder. The love between them was instantaneous. Miss daisy was kind and loving. Her knowledge of vocabulary was improving everyday, but not yet to its full potential. She almost understood every word Helen told her.
They always went to bed together at the exact same time; but bed being so high, she had to pick Miss daisy up and put her there. If she did not do it, Miss daisy would bark her head off.
Tony never went to bed with them; but she knew precisely when he joined them. He was a Siamese cat, a beautiful white cat with orange color nose, ears and tail. A friend has given him to Helen from a six litters she had had. When Helen took him to the vet for the first time, they put down his color in the computer, "Flame".
Miss Daisy always fell asleep right away. She even snored. Tony was Tony, aloof, and noncommittal. He stayed at the foot of bed so she could not reach him or touch him. But what mattered the most was Helen's own sleep. She was not sure if she ever slept. She tossed and turned, put the light on, read some, had some water which she always brought with her to bed in a red plastic cup.
She got her sleep mostly in the evening, when she was done with the work of the day. She put her night gown and robe on and lay on the couch. She put a movie on for seven o'clock. She had cable; therefore, took her time to pick the movie. She used the guide on the remote control and looked at all the available movies. She paid attention to their rating. Yes, she always picked the rated R movies! They were mostly repeat, even on the premium Chanel. Sometimes she would end up to pick something in WE, the women's Chanel; but they also were repeat. This chanel's movies had always bad plot and bad acting. It did not matter though, almost every evening she fell asleep and woke up about ten minutes before the end of it, while she was still in the world of half sleep and half wakefulness. Everything seemed hazy, unclear, and unfathomable. She regretted that she had missed another movie. When she was completely awake, it was the news time; as though she knew unconsciously that she did not care for the movie and she wanted to watch the news.
To Be Continued
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