Yipping and yelling, Kevin hopped around in pain. Bending over, he examined his foot. As far as he could tell there were no open wounds. At least it didn’t seem to be bleeding. It was, however, turning a nice shade of purple.
Sighing heavily, Kevin unlocked the door and went to push it back, but it seemed to be stuck. With all his weight, he leaned against it but it wouldn’t budge. Peeking through the living room window revealed that one of his shelves, which had previously been attached to the wall, had come loose and fallen over in front of the door, barring his entrance.
Kevin studied the mess through the mesh of a window screen. Here was one more project to add to the ever-growing list. Releasing a pent-up breath, he picked up the groceries and placed them in the bags without holes, picking out the blades of grass as he went.
Going to the side of the house, he opened the wooden gate. As he walked toward the back entrance, he cringed at the backyard. If the front yard had grass ankle deep then the backyard held grass that was knee high. He might need a bush hog or a swing sickle to clean this out. Complaining under his breath he continued on to the back door.
By the time Kevin opened the back door his fingers were on fire. It took five trips to get all the groceries in. When he finished, Kevin was exhausted. Staring at the small kitchen littered with white plastic, he almost called his mother. Surely she would come and help him. Honestly after all the hauling, he had no energy left to put the stuff away.
A quick glance at the microwave clock told Kevin it was almost six in the evening. No wonder he felt weak. It was past dinner. What would it hurt if the groceries waited a little longer before being put up? Surely there was no harm in it.
From one of the bags, Kevin picked up a frozen meal, opened it, and popped it into the microwave. While the microwave whirred and did its job, Kevin grabbed a caffeinated soda from its box and poured it over some ice. Once everything was finished, he stepped high to avoid trampling the stuff. The final destination was the couch in the living room.
When Kevin walked in the room, his mouth gaped open. The shelf that had fallen down was the shelf containing his CDs. The cases had opened, and the round disks now were spread out all over the floor. Didn’t that just figure.
He had no energy to deal with it right now. If the groceries could wait, then the CDs would have to wait as well. It wasn’t like anyone would mess with them. And there was no danger of someone coming in and picking them up for him. He’d just pick them up later. No problem. With the issue resolved in his mind, Kevin headed over to the sofa, grabbing the remote on the way, and plopped down.
Flipping past Lifetime’s female movie of the week, skipping past TLC’s get-rid-of your-clutter show, he settled for ESPN classic. The channel was having a marathon of old boxing matches. They were showing an old Cassius Clay and Sonny Liston fight. Halfway through the fight, Kevin was done eating, but he couldn’t get up until the match was over, right?
He watched the old black-and-white boxing match until the end then got up and headed back to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the mess didn’t look any better on this side of eating than it had before. The only way to get it done was just to dive in and do it, he guessed.
The frozen and cool foods were first on the agenda. Some of the stuff was already starting to melt and get warm. Hopefully, he hadn’t waited too long.
Placing his feet strategically in between debris from his junk drawer and the plastic food bags, he leaned over and picked up a gallon of milk in one hand while clutching ice cream with the other. But the ice cream had melted, and as he grabbed it, he accidentally pinched a little too hard, sending the ice cream in a spurt about three feet. The arc of sweet liquid landed on the cabinet in front of him. Lifting a hand up, he watched as ice cream ran down his arm and landed on the one clean spot left on the tiled floor.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered.
Kevin placed the soggy, dripping ice cream container in the sink, wiped down the cabinet and the floor with a dry paper towel, and went back to putting away his groceries. When he finished, he leaned back and surveyed his handiwork.
The fridge was stocked. The dry goods all put away. The only remaining items were things that belonged in the bathroom or the laundry room. Those could be put off until tomorrow. Right now he had other more important things to do. Like check email.
When Kevin had been in the living room earlier, he’d removed his socks. Now as he walked out of the kitchen, his foot fell to the floor and it stuck. Picking up his heel, he winced as he peeled his foot off the tile. Must have been where the ice cream had spilt.
Instead of wasting extra steps, he leaned forward and grasped the dishrag that lay across the sink. It was still moist, and he used it to clean his foot before throwing it back in the sink. The ice cream mess could just wait until later. He was on a mission.
He spent the next several hours on the computer. First, Kevin deleted all the junk mail. Then he checked the recent posts on his personal Facebook page. Next, he surfed the web. On Youtube he searched for old songs. By the time he finished, the sky was dark, and it was time for bed.
Kevin stretched and yawned. What a day! Looking around the spare room, he cringed. This room wasn’t any better than the rest. There was definitely some work to do, no question about it.
He would start tomorrow for sure.
Chapter Five
Monday…
Kevin’s alarm clock blared at seven a.m. With a groan he opened his eyes and stared at the infernal contraption. He hit the snooze button repeatedly, but somehow the beeping continued. Rolling over, he jerked the plug from the wall, relaxing as the noise ended. Sunlight peeped through the bedroom window, and he pulled the covers over his head. In the quiet, dark room, his eyelids drifted shut once more.
When Kevin finally awoke, it was already time for lunch. He tripped and stumbled around the cluttered room until he reached the kitchen. Coffee. All he needed was coffee.
On the way to the pot, Kevin stepped barefoot onto a sticky patch. This time as his foot pulled loose, it felt like a layer of skin was left behind. The sound like ripping Velcro echoed. Mopping. A new item to add to the ever-growing list.
Kevin finally reached the coffee pot and brewed the hot liquid, leaning against the counter top as he watched the drip, drip, drip of the life-giving substance. Once the coffee was ready, he drank cup after cup. Now, he was ready for the day and the mental list he’d been preparing for hours, days, weeks—no, months—could finally commence.
Before Kevin could dive into cleaning and working, he needed to exercise. Right? Exercise would get the blood flowing and the muscles limber. It has to be before everything else. It would only be proper. After making the decision, Kevin went to his room and pulled off his flannel pajama pants. A new odor swept around him. Had he bathed? He couldn’t remember.
What would be the point of bathing before exercising? That would be ridiculous. Besides, there were no clean towels. Kevin couldn’t bathe even if he wanted to. He knew what to do. Just a dab of deodorant would do the trick. Surely, it would fix him up until after the workout. It was good to have a little bit of man stink.
Kevin threw on his workout clothes, found his running shoes, and grabbed his MP3 player and his keys. He went to the front door, having forgotten there was no way to get out. Murmuring under his breath, he pivoted on his heel and headed out the back way. He made sure to lock the door and the wooden gate.
He walked along the sidewalk until he arrived at a small park with a running trail. When Kevin reached the trailhead, he flipped the MP3 player on and took off at a jog. He hadn’t run far when he saw a familiar face.
Jogging alongside him, Angela said, “Hey, Kevin. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Hey, Angela. What are you up to?”
“Running. I got kind of a late start today. I mowed the lawn first, and since I had more energy, I decided to go for a run.”
“Oh, me too. I had so much excess energy I thought I was going to burst
.”
“Would you like to come over for pizza this afternoon?”
Kevin was surprised by her question. They’d gone out one time, and he’d done the asking. He’d had a good time with her, although it had been awkward. The whole working together every day, and knowing that the guys knew he was dating her, just caused him to never ask her out again. There were just too many differences between them. She seemed to want a permanent, lasting relationship, and he wasn’t ready to settle down.
What excuse could Kevin give for not going over to Angela’s house? He didn’t want to encourage her if he had no intentions of dating her. She was a nice, sweet person, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying he wasn’t interested. So, what could he say?
“Well, you know I’d love to, but I’ve got to get back home and work on my projects. I mean, I’ve got some things done, of course, but not nearly enough.”
“Oh, yeah, sure. I understand. Maybe another time.”
“Sure. Sounds great.”
“I guess I better head home. I want to paint my living room today.”
“Yeah. I’ll see you around.”
Angela nodded and ran past him. He followed her with curious eyes. She had an attractive figure. And her name suited her perfectly. She had the face of an angel. But still, he had no desire to settle down. He was young and there were plenty of fish in the sea.
As Kevin continued along the trail, his head be-bopping to tunes, he ran through a dark, wooded section. He always lowered his volume when passing through this area. He wanted to be able to hear if anyone approached from behind. Wouldn’t do to get mugged.
As he rounded a bend in the trail, Kevin heard a muffled scream. He strained to see through the thick foliage. What he saw caused his palms to sweat and his heart to race. A man wearing a ski mask had his hands wrapped around the neck of an old woman.
Without thinking about the ramifications, Kevin ran toward the pair. The attacker spotted him. His eyes widened, only the whites showing. Without warning, the stranger released the lady.
Kevin lifted his hands and roared like he would to scare away a pesky animal. The attacker backed away, tripping and scrambling to his feet. He ran into the woods, disappearing from view.
Once the attacker was no longer visible, Kevin jogged to the old lady’s side. His pulse was racing, his palms sweaty. As he approached, he noted the lady lying on the ground, not moving. With great care, he rolled her onto her back and placed his numb fingers on her neck to feel for a heartbeat.
To a novice like Kevin, her pulse seemed strong. He did a cursory look, checking for blood, but he didn’t see any. Looking down at the woman, he noticed she resembled a bag lady. Covered in several layers of clothing, her hands were wrapped with dirty, tattered rags, her feet encased in holey shoes.
Brows knitting in confusion, Kevin wondered what the guy in the ski mask could have possibly wanted from this old lady.
As Kevin studied her face, the old lady opened her eyes. Clear, sharp, and crystal blue in color, the orbs stared at him. Gulping deeply, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Can I help you up?”
“Yes, please.”
Kevin was amazed by her clear, distinct speech. Did he detect the hint of an English accent? Helping her onto a nearby bench, Kevin asked, “Can I call someone for you?”
“No, my child. I’ll be fine. Thank you for your assistance.”
“Sure. It was nothing. But seriously, maybe we should call the police or something.”
“It will not be necessary.”
“But the guy was trying to strangle you!”
Kevin thought he saw a smile before she answered. “He would not have harmed me.”
“But…”
“Now,” she said, clapping her hands together in delight, “for your reward.”
“My reward?”
“But of course. You saved my life, and you deserve a reward.”
“But—”
“One wish! Yes, one wish it shall be.” She appeared to talk to herself for a moment. Then she stood up from the bench and began to back off into the woods, speaking softly as she went. “Your greatest desire shall be fulfilled, one wish you may build.”
Kevin watched with eyebrows raised as the old lady vanished into the woods; her words still rang in his ears.
“That was too wild,” he said to himself. A wish he could build. What did that even mean? One wish indeed.
Kevin sat on the bench and waited for the woman to return. Perhaps she’d decided to call the police after all. When it appeared the lady wasn’t returning, he stood, looked both ways, and set off down the path once again. Maybe he shouldn’t have let her go. But it was too late now.
Kevin continued his run, his mind wandering away from the incident with the old, crazy woman and drifting back to Angela. Thoughts of Angela started him thinking about the conversation with the guys from Friday.
Imagine them believing that having multiple wives would be a good thing. Then again, maybe they were on the right track. Just think, if a man had multiple wives he wouldn’t have to lift a finger. He could kick back and relax, and everything around him would get done as if by magic. Maybe the guy on the talk show was right after all.
Kevin kept running, listening to his music, when suddenly it stopped. He glanced down and was aggravated to see his MP3 player’s charge completely gone.
He needed to go home anyway. It was time to start on those chores. Otherwise they would never get done.
Chapter Six
Kevin jogged to the back door, twisted the knob, and went inside. Sweat drenched his clothes, and he headed directly for the shower. He took his time washing off the grime of the last couple of days. He washed his hair until it squeaked with cleanliness.
Emerging from the shower, he searched for something to dry with. There on the metal bar hanging in the room, he spotted what he needed. A clean towel. Where had that come from? Maybe it had been there all along and he’d missed it earlier. With the shower curtain pulled back, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. One shoulder lifted in a shrug as he grabbed the material and rubbed it across his stubble-covered face.
Vigorously, he rubbed his skin with the thick towel. When he finished he wrapped it low across his hips. Padding into the bedroom, he bent down to pick up the dirty laundry, but the floor was oddly clean. As he walked to the chest of drawers, he peered out the window into his backyard. What he saw had him running and squishing up to the glass. His nose pressed flat against the window, leaving an impression of his face upon the pane.
The yard! It had been mowed!
Quickly, Kevin ran to his bureau and pulled the top drawer open. Inside rested all his clothes. They were clean, folded, and organized.
Kevin was so confused he forgot to dress. Instead, he grasped the towel tightly to his waist and did a jog down the short hallway to the kitchen. The floor tile had been mopped and waxed. The cabinets were wiped clean until they gleamed. The dishes that filled the sink earlier in the morning were nowhere in sight.
Next, he rushed to the living room. The broken shelf from the day before was back in its usual place. Even the CDs were placed in the correct order.
Kevin pivoted slowly on his heel in a wide arc and headed back to his room. He found clean clothes and dressed. Maybe it was a dream? Maybe in the park earlier he hadn’t scared off the attacker but instead the attacker had hit him on the head? Maybe he was dead and this was heaven? Or even hell? Maybe his mother had come over and cleaned? Maybe it was the gremlins.
Kevin ran out back. He had to see. He just had to see. Sure enough, the biggest project on his list was complete. The back patio pavers appeared to have been dug up and replaced. He didn’t take time to thoroughly inspect the work. He was too shocked. What was this? Could the guys at work be pulling some practical joke?
Kevin walked to the living room and sat down, rubbing his aching head. A pent-up breath released. If he took a nap, would eve
rything be better when he woke?
As he laid back, he looked around the room. His gaze landed on a sight that made him jump to his feet. He focused his stare as he hustled to the location. It couldn’t be! It just couldn’t be!
“Staring at the wedding photos again, I see.”
Kevin whirled around at the sound of a feminine voice. In the doorway stood a tall, slender, lanky thing with short brown hair. The woman resembled a swimsuit model.
She walked to the couch and plopped down in a lounging fashion. In her hand were two cups of steaming coffee. She patted the seat next to her. He knew he must look like an idiot, standing with his mouth gaping open, but he couldn’t help it.
Finally, Kevin pushed past his shock and asked, “Who are you?”
She laughed. The sound held a musical quality, sending pleasant tones through his ears. “Who am I? Oh, Kevin my dear, you’re too funny. Imagine asking who I am. I know you have a lot of us to remember, but I’m the newest one. And surely I’m not that forgettable.”
Kevin’s gaze lingered on her frame, noticing her cocoa-colored eyes, her long, slender legs. She was right; if he’d ever seen her before he wouldn’t have forgotten her. Trying not to offend, he said, “Would you mind refreshing my memory?”
She sighed with dissatisfaction. Grabbing him by the hand, she pulled him back to the gilded frames. “Fine. I don’t know what you’re up to, but we’ll play your little game, for now.” Mumbling under her breath, she added, “I’m number seven and the last. You would have thought I’d be the easiest to remember.”
Kevin must have appeared completely dumbfounded because she started talking a little louder and clearer. “I’m Dana Smith, your wife.”
“M—my wife?”
“Yes, your wife. Actually, your seventh wife to be exact.”
“I’ve been married seven times?”
Love Octagon Page 3
