Valentines Day
By Claire Read
Foot steps clatter up the uncarpeted steps. "Patti where are you honey, I'm home".Bumping and banging and then,
"Here, right here dear".
Running up another flight of stairs into the attic, he finds her struggling with a large box. "What are you doing? Here I'll help you. What's this all about--spring cleaning? It's February."
"Look at this space , darling. Isn't it going to be perfect?"
Looking about he sees the dusty attic, boxes of discarded clothing and junk. "Yeah, I guess so...but what for ?"
"For my computer room. I need a place that is out of the way...out of YOUR way. You don't like me to be online when you're watching television. And then I can have the music on too."
"What music?"
"Why the music from the internet". she laughs,"you might say it's from the stars or the spheres. I've downloaded a whole lot of midis.....".
"What's that?.....a midi? Never mind. You look so cute, dusty" pushing her hair back with one finger, "but beautiful. Do you know what day this is"?
"Of course it's Saturday. Honey, let me get on with this it will be dark soon and......"
"And I have something for you sweetheart. See, I've brought you something. It's Valentines day."
"Oh , is it here already? I thought it would be weeks. I forgot and (weakly)I haven't gotten you a thing, But this is going to be wonderful for both of us. You'll have your place with the TV and all the light you need for the newspaper and I'll have this little room-- dark so that I can really see the screen and concentrate without all that noise from the TV".
He smiles at her, offering her his gift-- holding it out. She wipes her hands on her jeans, and takes it from him--a small package glistening in it's foil wrappings and neat bow.
"I wish I had something for you". Standing awkwardly, weight on one hip, she unwraps it and gazes at the contents. "It's lovely--such a nice pin to wear when I'm dressed up and we go out. I'll put it away right now so as not to lose it in this mess."
"That's not all it is, and I want you to wear it ..... all the time."
"But why, it's too nice for that it's........"
"It's a pager........dear. Anytime I want to talk to you I just press the button, it makes a sound and......... you call me right back. "
"OH, I couldn't do that. I might be on line, downloading a program or talking to someone. "
"And you can just call me."he continues.
"Only the phone will be tied up and I couldn't just pop off line like that. Why don't you leave a message on the answering machine"?
"I can never get through to the damn machine. It's always tied up because you are always on the computer."
"Well, I did suggest that we get another line for the computer, but you said we couldn't afford it and then you went and bought this expensive watch-dog pin."
"I need to know what you're doing on that internet. I've heard all sorts of things about computers. They break - up marriages. Perfectly happy couples split-up over some relationship that develops on-line."
"So you want to keep tabs on me--afraid I might be "up to something". Why don't you learn to use it too. I keep asking you, but you think it's evil. It's not evil. It's your mind that's evil. Your dirty little evil mind."
She turns, runs down the stairs into the bathroom, locks the door and begins to cry. In the mirror, she sees red eyes dust and tears streaking her face. She reaches for a washcloth. shouldn't let him see me this way. If I were on line he'd never see me this way.
Calming down, she checks the image in the mirror, takes a deep breath and opens the bathroom door to find him standing uncertainly in the hall.
"I'm sorry," she says "It's very pretty and I'll wear it when I'm dressed up . Thank you for a lovely gift."
"I'm sorry too." he says "I'll take it back if you want me to."
They embrace and move as one toward the bedroom to make love. After all...it is valentines day.
NOTE: this is the correct e-mail address. Not all the pages have been updated