“And what was this fantasy, my child?”
“Oh, some such nonsense about never having to lift a finger if you had multiple wives. Came off of one of those talk shows, you know.”
“Oh, I see. And was this fantasy correct?”
“Hardly! It was a nightmare! Women I don’t even know living in my home. Moving my stuff! Throwing my stuff away! Telling me what to do! Telling me I have kids I’ve never met! I just want it to all to go away!”
“You seem to think I can do something to help you.”
“But of course you can. You’re the one who started this. You have to be able to fix it! You just said—”
“I’m sorry for your distress, young man, but I’m just a helpless old woman. I sometimes say weird things for no reason.”
Kevin stared at her. So this was it. He was done. This was his life forever now. Just one big episode of Alfred Hitchcock, and a bad late-night showing of the Twilight Zone. Jumping from his seat, he staggered away.
As he headed back to the trail, he heard her whisper, “Kevin, you know what to do. Remember…”
As he watched, the old lady stood and shuffled into the thick forest. While walking home, Kevin reviewed what she’d said. Nothing the lady told him made any sense. First she acted like she knew exactly what he was talking about. Then she acted like she was clueless. Then right before she left, she said he already knew the answer to the problem. He’d been right in the beginning. She was just some crazy old bag lady.
Agitated, he ran his hand through his hair, he realized he was finished. There was no hope. He was destined to live like this forever…
Chapter Thirty-Six
Kevin ran all the way home, arriving out of breath. He walked to the back door, unlocked it, strode to his room, and fell to the bed in sheer exhaustion. The trauma of finding out this was his new life forever zapped the last shred of his strength. He would never be allowed to discover what could have been with Angela. If only he’d given her a chance in the beginning.
Lying upon the bed, he was able to stretch out for the first time in a full week. Becoming comfortable immediately relaxed him. As he lay there staring at the ceiling, Kevin wondered if perhaps the old man at the hardware store had been correct. Maybe he did have something he needed to repent about. Maybe he wasn’t as good as he thought.
Leaning over he picked up his Bible from his nightstand and began to read. As he read the story of Solomon, how he traded his wisdom for political alliances by marrying multiple women, Kevin fell asleep. His last thought was how repentance was looking more like it was something he needed to do.
The ringing phone woke him, and his hand fumbled around on the bedside table in search of the object. Clearing his throat, he answered sleepily, “Hello?
“Kevin! Kevin! Aren’t you up yet? You missed church again.”
“Mom, is that you?”
“Well, of course, it’s me! Who else would be calling your slovenly behind and trying to kick start your butt in gear? And how come every time I call, you’re always in the bed? Do you do anything besides sleep?”
“Ah, Mom.”
“Don’t ‘ah, Mom’ me. It’s one in the afternoon! Are you coming over for dinner or not?”
How could it be so late? Kevin rolled over and sat on the side of the bed, placing his head in his hands. His body was sore, and his head hurt something terrible.
“Mom, I don’t believe I’m going to make it today. I’m not feeling so good.”
“Are you sick?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I bet you stayed up too late. Or it might’ve been something you ate. I bet that’s it. Or maybe…”
Kevin listened to his mother. His déjà vu meter kicked in, sending his senses into overdrive. As she prattled on and on, he looked at his room. It was a filthy, stinking mess.
Kevin was so excited he jumped to his feet and shouted.
“Kevin! Why are you screaming in my ear?”
“Oh Mom, I’m sorry. I’m just so happy. My house is a total wreck. Isn’t it great?”
His mother’s silence across the phone line was telling. Apparently she disagreed. There was no way to explain to her, so instead he said, “Mom, listen. I’ve got a ton of work to do. So I’ll talk to you later, okay? And I promise, I’ll be at church next week.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Love you. Talk to you later. Bye.”
Kevin hung up. He was elated. The whole thing had been a bad dream! Nothing more than a wakeup call. All he could say was it worked.
The more he thought about it being a dream, the more questions it caused. A frown covered his face. If all the wives had been a dream, then what about his time spent with Angela? Had all their time together been part of a dream as well? Did Angela really enjoy fishing, shooting, and long, private walks on the shore? Or did his mind conjure up what he wanted her to be?
Kevin’s head ached from the possibilities. He staggered around his small home. In the living room, CDs lay scattered upon the floor where they’d been the Sunday before.
Turning on the TV to the television guide channel to check the date, he noticed it was October fourteenth. Exactly eight days had passed since the conversation with his friends at work. Which meant he had to return to work tomorrow. It looked like, although time had passed, none of “his projects” had been completed. Even the things the women accomplished were back to normal. But why would it have changed? It was clear. He’d slept the week away and he’d just forgotten, right? Now that was some lethargy!
Taking a deep breath, Kevin cleaned his room and whistled while he did laundry. He mopped the sticky kitchen floor. He picked up his CDs and placed the shelf back in its proper place. He mowed the lawn and straightened the crooked pavers in his patio.
By nightfall, the interior and exterior were looking more like a home and less like the jungle it had been. When he lay down to sleep, he was pleased with the progress.
He would do his major projects after work in the afternoons. He felt so free at the moment he just didn’t care. He had faith everything would work out.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Monday…
Break time came around, and all the guys gathered in the break room. Feet were elevated, postures relaxed.
“Hey, Kevin. Give me some skin, bud,” said Tom, holding his hand up to receive a high five.
“Tom honestly, who says such things anymore? You spend too much time watching retro television.”
Tom mimicked Mark and Fred then said, “It ain’t possible to watch too much retro, man.” Then turning to Kevin he asked, “So, how was the vacation?”
“Full of girls,” piped in Fred, causing Kevin to choke on his drink.
Fred’s brow rose in concern. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to make you get all choked up.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. My vacation was…” What did one say after what he’d experienced or not experienced. Kevin’s only answer was, “Interesting.”
“Ooh, interesting. Come on. Do tell.”
Kevin shrugged and looked away. Yes, he’d expected the questions, but he had no answers. He wasn’t sure how much, if anything, from last week had been real. He kept staring at Jerry, wondering if they’d actually had an argument on the phone. What part of his vacation had been genuine and what part hadn’t? What did you tell people when you didn’t know what had happened yourself?
And there was no way Kevin would tell them he’d spent all week in bed doing nothing but dreaming of seven women. They would think it was the greatest thing in the world, and honestly, there was no possible way to help them understand the true horror of such a situation.
“I don’t believe he wants to tell us.”
“I think you’re right, Todd. Secrecy. Makes me want to dig,” said Jerry with a mischievous glint.
Kevin laughed lightheartedly. Jerry didn’t act like they had argued. Better to just roll with it. Kevin held his hands up in a defensive posture. “It won’t do you any go
od. What happens during vacation stays on vacation.”
The five of them shared some laughter. The fifteen-minute bell was heard and they all groaned in unison. “It never lasts long enough. I think we should try to work on the bell so it lasts longer. What do you think?” asked Tom.
“I think we have to get back to the grindstone,” said Mark.
All the chairs scooted back from the table, and the group of buddies walked back toward their respective work positions. Kevin was still a call center employee, and he couldn’t be happier. They filed out the door with him last in line. Before stepping out of the break room, Angela walked through the door.
She sent him a shy grin but walked on by. Kevin looked over his shoulder at her as she dropped coins in the machine and purchased a soft drink. Had their time together been real? Would he ever know? How do you ask someone if you spent quality time with them without appearing to be a total idiot?
Kevin walked on back to his station and finished the day, using only half his brain. When he arrived home, he went to the computer room. Thoughts that the past week had been nothing more than a dream nagged at him. There was no proof anything had happened. His house had been a wreck last Sunday, and when he awoke a week later, it was still a wreck. Other than the passing of time, there was nothing to show for the week of torment.
The old woman and the stupid wish. The time spent with Angela. The wives, the kids. The argument with Jerry, nothing more than a dream. Part of him felt robbed. All the worry and trouble, and it had all been a dream! A nightmare, if truth be told.
Kevin sat down at the computer and cupped his face in his hands. Looking at the blank screen, he suddenly had no desire to get on the machine. At the moment, it held no appeal. He pulled open a drawer from his desk and found a Bible resting there. He spent some time reading. When he finished, he began to see he wasn’t quite as good as he’d originally thought. Jerry was right. He was selfish.
Rolling the chair back and standing up in his full-sized computer room, Kevin headed to the living room to clean up a few more things. As he worked, he prayed. He repented. He asked forgiveness for all his sins. He was turning over a new leaf. This was a new beginning for him. Everything about him felt new.
As Kevin bent at the waist and picked up scattered items littering the floor, his phone rang. “Hello?”
“Kevin, how are you?”
It was Angela. How should he play this? Cautious, definitely cautious. “I’m doing well. And you?”
“I’m good. It was nice to be back at work today.”
“Yeah, it was. Did you enjoy your vacation?”
“Yes.”
Angela didn’t elaborate. As Kevin bent down, he spotted something yellow. Squatting down for a closer look, his eyes widened. Under the chair was something that shouldn’t have been there. He picked it up. In his hand rested a yellow, squishy, foam bullet. He cradled the item in his hand, looking at it to be sure it didn’t vanish.
Taking a deep gulp, he suddenly realized: It was all real! Everything had been real! The women, the kids, the time with Angela. The crazy man at the hardware store had been right. All he’d had to do was repent. Had the woman from the park been an angel then? He would probably never know. But now he had something else he had to do.
Angela was silent. Was she waiting on him? It seemed she was always waiting on him. Well she wouldn’t need to wait any longer. Kevin interrupted the silence. “Angela?”
“Yes?”
“Are you tired of waiting?”
“Yes. I am. Why do you ask?”
“Because so am I.”
Epilogue
“This has to be better than having seven wives,” he whispered.
“Kevin, what did you say?”
“Nothing, Mark. Nothing.”
“Listen, now is not the time to remember stupid conversations we’ve had with Tom. That boy can get you in more trouble. You don’t need seven wives. Angela will be more than enough, I’m sure off it.”
“You’re right,” Kevin answered. A smile spread across his lips as he thought, If Mark only knew. But Kevin wasn’t going to tell.
At the front of the altar, Kevin waited with bated breath for his bride. It was definitely a miracle that had allowed him to witness this day. When Angela arrived at his side, he held her lily-white hand in his. He stared into her face and said the vows. No truer words had ever been spoken.
After the ceremony was over, Kevin wouldn’t let Angela out of his sight. The reception was held in the church fellowship hall, and every guest from the wedding was in attendance. Bulbs flashed. Everywhere you looked, someone was taking pictures. It was, of course, a momentous occasion. It wasn’t every day that one from their group married.
Mark, Tom, and Fred mingled, and before the night was over, it seemed they might have found their own prospects for a happy future. Kevin was introduced again to Jerry’s wife. She was a sweet woman with a friendly smile and a round belly. They were expecting their first child. And Jerry couldn’t have been happier. The news was shared around the room and toasted, with soda of course, at every available opportunity. Jerry and his wife, Miriam, had been to countless fertility clinics in the hope of having a child. That was why Jerry had said at the barbeque he wasn’t sure about having children, Kevin realized. It wasn’t because Jerry didn’t want them. It was because he wasn’t sure he could have them.
Becoming a father couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy. Kevin was happy for his friend. It seemed this past year had changed more lives than just his own.
As Kevin twirled his wife around the room, he scanned the corners. He couldn’t help but expect her. But why would she come? Kevin wasn’t sure why he thought she would be in attendance. He just did. The old bag lady. The demon? The angel? He still wasn’t sure what she was. But wouldn’t she still want to see the results of her handiwork?
Kevin had spent many sleepless nights after his “household” of wives and children disappeared, wondering if the woman from the park had known the outcome all along. It was like she’d been leading him down a path he hadn’t been able to see. When his eyes were finally opened to his loss, his misery, his need for repentance, was when his life changed for the better.
Looking down into Angela’s smiling face, Kevin was grateful. Yes, the experience with the women had been overwhelming, sometimes horrifying. But it had made him see a few things. Man was clearly meant for one woman and one woman alone. And Angela had been designed and made for him. She was his dream woman. Had it not been for his experience in the park, he would never have discovered what he was missing. If he was ever lucky enough to find the lady again, he would be sure to thank her.
“Who are you looking for Kevin?” asked Angela, beaming up at him.
“What?”
“You have such a serious expression on your face. Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Everything is perfectly okay. Couldn’t be better,” Kevin gave her a huge grin, hoping to set his wife at ease.
Angela laid her head against his chest and sighed with contentment. Above her head, he rested his chin. He hadn’t given up hope he would be able to thank the one responsible for the change in his life. Then Kevin saw a flicker of white. Upon closer inspection, he saw a little old stooped lady sitting in a chair at the table in the far corner of the room. Raising her glass in salute, she winked. Then poof, she was gone.
He shook his head with disbelief. Was it possible? Had his Angela been sent by angel? Or had the angel been sent by one greater? One who knew what Kevin needed before he did? One who looked after Kevin’s own best interests? One who loved Kevin more than he loved himself? Kevin was pretty sure he knew the answer.
About the Author
Felicia Rogers born and raised in the southern part of the United States is a Christian wife and mother. She is just your average, ordinary woman, with a side interest — writing.
For eleven years, every waking moment of her life was consumed with changing diapers, wiping noses,
and kissing scrapes. But now that her children have grown and she enjoys a modicum of freedom, in addition to taking care of hearth and home, she writes! She enjoys adding a flavor of realism and humor to her all too real romance stories. For what is love without a little laughter!
Also by Felicia Rogers
Prologue
Wilt Hotham stood behind the chair, fingers drumming upon the wood. “Do you have news to report?”
“I’m afraid so, my lord,” answered the messenger, eyes shifting.
“What is this news?”
“Remember, I am but the messenger.”
“Of course, I understand. Now get on with it. Give me the news of my brother. Was he successful?”
The messenger trembled as he answered, “Nay.”
“Nay?” Wilt widened his eyes. Anger caused sweat to bead upon his brow. Hands clenched by his sides, he waited for more.
“Nay, sir. Unsuccessful, I’m afraid. The mistress of Greenbriar wasn’t to his… liking.”
Wilt flung his arms into the air, stomping his feet. His hands flipped the table, sending decanters full of whiskey against the wall. Amber-colored ink trailed downward, pooling silently on the white rug. Wilt’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits as he saw the servant shy away.
Good. At least someone recognized his power.
After the tirade passed, Wilt jerked his waistcoat down, placed thumbs against his ribcage and asked the servant to continue with the news.
Straightening from a cowering position, the servant began again with a trembling voice. “Your brother returned home and, well, he…”
“Aye? What happened? Let me guess. Spent the whole week in the bedroom weeping like a child! Our family is in ruins. Our wealth completely disappeared because of his ‘habits.’ Our one chance to rectify the situation and he finds the bride unsatisfactory.” Taking a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart, Wilt stared at the servant. “You will travel to see my brother. You will tell him he must go back and marry the mistress, claim the land for his own, and sell it. I don’t care whether the woman is to his liking or not! I will not lose everything because my brother is unwilling to experience the least amount of discomfort!”
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