really.”
“Oh? Everyone talks to ghosts?”
Leo smiled sadly. “Not ghosts, exactly. Just memories.”
“Bad ones?”
“Some, yes. But some good ones, too.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“You already are. Just offering to listen if I need to talk. Caring. That means a lot to me.”
“I do care about you, Leo. I worry about you seeming so sad.”
“I’m not sad.”
“Not all the time, no, but more than you should be. This last week especially.”
“It’s always the worst this time of the year… around Memorial Day. This is when I… had my accident.”
“The accident that forced you out of the Army?”
“It didn’t force me out, but I didn’t want to stay in and work a desk. That’s not why I joined. But yeah. The Friday before Memorial Day.”
“I’m sorry, Leo.”
“Not your fault. But what about you? I just found out your dad has Alzheimer’s. How are you holding up with that?”
“Okay… I think we all knew it was coming for a long time. Even before Mom died he would forget stuff. We used to tease him about it, but that’s how these things go.”
“How did your mom die?”
“Bee sting, believe it or not. She was allergic. She was out working in her flowers. Bee got her. Even though Dad got her the EpiPen, it wasn’t enough.”
Leo sat in shock. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing to say. I was at the bar when it happened, getting ready to open. I was too young to work the bar, but I could waitress. Dad was just getting ready to leave when Mom came in and told him what had happened. He gave her the pen, and called 911, but he was giving her CPR when the ambulance arrived. There was nothing they could do – nothing anyone could do. For a long time I wondered if it might have been different had I been there. But eventually I came to realized it wouldn’t have mattered. ”
“My god, Jamie. I’m so sorry.”
Jamie smiled at him and patted him on the arm. “That was almost eight years ago. It’s okay. You learn to let go and accept what is.”
“Easier said than done, sometimes.”
“True. But it can be done.”
***
Jamie and Leo sat and talked quietly about whatever subject came up. She watched as Leo slowly relaxed, settling into her couch, his head back and eyes closed as they talked. She had made several gestures of encouragement… touching him, caressing his arm, holding his hand as he spoke of growing up in Montana and joining the Army, wanting him to take her to bed. But he didn’t seem to notice, the darkness once again clouding his eyes.
Finally he stopped talking, his breathing becoming slow and regular. Poor Leo. So alone, even in a crowd of people, she thought. She thought about waking him, but decided to let him sleep. He had told her of his problems sleeping, and if he could get a good night sleep here on her couch, then she would be glad for him to have it.
She gently rose from the couch and looked at his face. Such a handsome face, especially now, when he was at peace. She walked into her bedroom and returned with a light blanket that she carefully draped over his shoulders.
She kissed him softly on the lips as she touched his face. “Sleep well Leo,” she whispered. “May your dreams be pleasant.”
***
Jamie opened her eyes, unsure of what had awakened her. She looked at her bedside clock, its glowing number telling her it was almost four in the morning. She had been in bed just over two hours. She listened to the silence of the early morning, then she heard it again – a voice from the front of the house. She lay perfectly still, unsure she of what she was hearing until the voice came again, almost below the threshold of hearing.
She crawled out of bed and put on her robe. Maybe Leo had turned on the television. She hoped so because she could think of something a lot more entertaining to do this
“Oh? Everyone talks to ghosts?”
Leo smiled sadly. “Not ghosts, exactly. Just memories.”
“Bad ones?”
“Some, yes. But some good ones, too.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“You already are. Just offering to listen if I need to talk. Caring. That means a lot to me.”
“I do care about you, Leo. I worry about you seeming so sad.”
“I’m not sad.”
“Not all the time, no, but more than you should be. This last week especially.”
“It’s always the worst this time of the year… around Memorial Day. This is when I… had my accident.”
“The accident that forced you out of the Army?”
“It didn’t force me out, but I didn’t want to stay in and work a desk. That’s not why I joined. But yeah. The Friday before Memorial Day.”
“I’m sorry, Leo.”
“Not your fault. But what about you? I just found out your dad has Alzheimer’s. How are you holding up with that?”
“Okay… I think we all knew it was coming for a long time. Even before Mom died he would forget stuff. We used to tease him about it, but that’s how these things go.”
“How did your mom die?”
“Bee sting, believe it or not. She was allergic. She was out working in her flowers. Bee got her. Even though Dad got her the EpiPen, it wasn’t enough.”
Leo sat in shock. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing to say. I was at the bar when it happened, getting ready to open. I was too young to work the bar, but I could waitress. Dad was just getting ready to leave when Mom came in and told him what had happened. He gave her the pen, and called 911, but he was giving her CPR when the ambulance arrived. There was nothing they could do – nothing anyone could do. For a long time I wondered if it might have been different had I been there. But eventually I came to realized it wouldn’t have mattered. ”
“My god, Jamie. I’m so sorry.”
Jamie smiled at him and patted him on the arm. “That was almost eight years ago. It’s okay. You learn to let go and accept what is.”
“Easier said than done, sometimes.”
“True. But it can be done.”
***
Jamie and Leo sat and talked quietly about whatever subject came up. She watched as Leo slowly relaxed, settling into her couch, his head back and eyes closed as they talked. She had made several gestures of encouragement… touching him, caressing his arm, holding his hand as he spoke of growing up in Montana and joining the Army, wanting him to take her to bed. But he didn’t seem to notice, the darkness once again clouding his eyes.
Finally he stopped talking, his breathing becoming slow and regular. Poor Leo. So alone, even in a crowd of people, she thought. She thought about waking him, but decided to let him sleep. He had told her of his problems sleeping, and if he could get a good night sleep here on her couch, then she would be glad for him to have it.
She gently rose from the couch and looked at his face. Such a handsome face, especially now, when he was at peace. She walked into her bedroom and returned with a light blanket that she carefully draped over his shoulders.
She kissed him softly on the lips as she touched his face. “Sleep well Leo,” she whispered. “May your dreams be pleasant.”
***
Jamie opened her eyes, unsure of what had awakened her. She looked at her bedside clock, its glowing number telling her it was almost four in the morning. She had been in bed just over two hours. She listened to the silence of the early morning, then she heard it again – a voice from the front of the house. She lay perfectly still, unsure she of what she was hearing until the voice came again, almost below the threshold of hearing.
She crawled out of bed and put on her robe. Maybe Leo had turned on the television. She hoped so because she could think of something a lot more entertaining to do this
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