alone.
She stood and took a deep breath. Time to face him, because she wasn’t going to hide behind reality as he’d been doing. Her baba and mama had always taught her to take hardship by the horns and wrestle it to the ground.
Their floor arrived sooner than usual, and Mari felt as if she was taking the walk of shame, passing other apartments with open doors, happy voices, tantalizing smells of pork simmering and vegetables steaming. Signs of normal life—a life that she couldn’t have, as she made her way to her own too-quiet home to give her husband news that would only make him feel worse.
At the door she hesitated only a second, then unlocked it and turned the knob. The house was quiet as usual. Only the television droned on, a soap opera blasting dramatic music as a scene between two lovers played out.
“Bolin?” she called out as she dropped her bag on the table.
She looked over the kitchen counter at the couch. There he was, his back to her, like always. Mari didn’t know how he spent hour after hour sleeping, day and night, only waking up to medicate once again, then going back to it.
He moved, and Mari knew he was awake. She went to him and sat on the small piece of couch his body and blanket hadn’t claimed. Putting her arm on his back, she leaned down. She caught a whiff of his odor and knew he hadn’t even left the couch to bathe that day. “Bolin, are you awake? We need to talk.”
He turned over, surprising Mari that she didn’t have to coax him.
“I’m out of pills, Mari. You have to go to the doctor.” He handed her the empty bottle that he’d been clutching against his chest. His hair stood up in tufts, much too long and in need of a haircut. Another expense they couldn’t afford. “Did you hear me? I need you to go get me more.”
Mari sighed. She did have some money, thanks to Max and her impromptu tour guide job—but she’d planned to use that for their rent. It wasn’t time for him to be out of medication. “You took all those today?”
He nodded, looking like a scared little boy. Mari didn’t have the heart to even yell or scream. It was done. But she was disappointed beyond belief.
“You told me you were an adult and could hold on to your own medicine. Remember, Bolin? You acted like I was the bad guy, treating you like a child. And now look—you took it all.”
He shook his head in denial. “It’s not my fault, Mari. I just got confused last night. And I need a bigger dose anyway. Those aren’t helping me. I’m still in pain, and I can’t sleep.”
Mari stood up. She didn’t want to fight with him. But she knew the doctor was not going to give him anything stronger. She already got the feeling that the doctor thought her husband was milking his injury and should’ve been up and around by now. A part of her—the unsympathetic part that she tried to squash—tended to agree.
There was only one way to do it and that was to just put it bluntly. “Bolin, I need to tell you something. Chu Chu was stolen.”
She jerked back when Bolin sat up as if a string was attached to his head and someone jerked it upright.
“Stolen? What do you mean? Stolen right out from under your nose?”
Now for the kicker. Mari felt small.
“No, stolen from the shed. I didn’t have him with me today.” She pulled her shoulders back, ready for his attack.
Bolin’s eyes narrowed until she couldn’t even see his pupils. “What were you doing, Mari?”
“I had a different job. It’s been difficult lately getting customers for photos, and I was offered a good fee to be a guide.” She kept the irritation out of her voice, hoping he’d drop it. But she also didn’t want to tell him more about Max.
Bolin picked up a throw pillow and buried his face in it. He mumbled something and rocked back and forth.
“What? I can’t understand you,” Mari said, trying to pry the pillow from him.
Bolin dropped it, then screamed at her. “ I saw you !”
“What do you mean, you saw
She stood and took a deep breath. Time to face him, because she wasn’t going to hide behind reality as he’d been doing. Her baba and mama had always taught her to take hardship by the horns and wrestle it to the ground.
Their floor arrived sooner than usual, and Mari felt as if she was taking the walk of shame, passing other apartments with open doors, happy voices, tantalizing smells of pork simmering and vegetables steaming. Signs of normal life—a life that she couldn’t have, as she made her way to her own too-quiet home to give her husband news that would only make him feel worse.
At the door she hesitated only a second, then unlocked it and turned the knob. The house was quiet as usual. Only the television droned on, a soap opera blasting dramatic music as a scene between two lovers played out.
“Bolin?” she called out as she dropped her bag on the table.
She looked over the kitchen counter at the couch. There he was, his back to her, like always. Mari didn’t know how he spent hour after hour sleeping, day and night, only waking up to medicate once again, then going back to it.
He moved, and Mari knew he was awake. She went to him and sat on the small piece of couch his body and blanket hadn’t claimed. Putting her arm on his back, she leaned down. She caught a whiff of his odor and knew he hadn’t even left the couch to bathe that day. “Bolin, are you awake? We need to talk.”
He turned over, surprising Mari that she didn’t have to coax him.
“I’m out of pills, Mari. You have to go to the doctor.” He handed her the empty bottle that he’d been clutching against his chest. His hair stood up in tufts, much too long and in need of a haircut. Another expense they couldn’t afford. “Did you hear me? I need you to go get me more.”
Mari sighed. She did have some money, thanks to Max and her impromptu tour guide job—but she’d planned to use that for their rent. It wasn’t time for him to be out of medication. “You took all those today?”
He nodded, looking like a scared little boy. Mari didn’t have the heart to even yell or scream. It was done. But she was disappointed beyond belief.
“You told me you were an adult and could hold on to your own medicine. Remember, Bolin? You acted like I was the bad guy, treating you like a child. And now look—you took it all.”
He shook his head in denial. “It’s not my fault, Mari. I just got confused last night. And I need a bigger dose anyway. Those aren’t helping me. I’m still in pain, and I can’t sleep.”
Mari stood up. She didn’t want to fight with him. But she knew the doctor was not going to give him anything stronger. She already got the feeling that the doctor thought her husband was milking his injury and should’ve been up and around by now. A part of her—the unsympathetic part that she tried to squash—tended to agree.
There was only one way to do it and that was to just put it bluntly. “Bolin, I need to tell you something. Chu Chu was stolen.”
She jerked back when Bolin sat up as if a string was attached to his head and someone jerked it upright.
“Stolen? What do you mean? Stolen right out from under your nose?”
Now for the kicker. Mari felt small.
“No, stolen from the shed. I didn’t have him with me today.” She pulled her shoulders back, ready for his attack.
Bolin’s eyes narrowed until she couldn’t even see his pupils. “What were you doing, Mari?”
“I had a different job. It’s been difficult lately getting customers for photos, and I was offered a good fee to be a guide.” She kept the irritation out of her voice, hoping he’d drop it. But she also didn’t want to tell him more about Max.
Bolin picked up a throw pillow and buried his face in it. He mumbled something and rocked back and forth.
“What? I can’t understand you,” Mari said, trying to pry the pillow from him.
Bolin dropped it, then screamed at her. “ I saw you !”
“What do you mean, you saw
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