Short Story: That Which is Left Behind

The sun began to rise and the room was slowly being bathed in a warm golden light. As I lay on the bed submerged in blankets, I watched the golden rays descend and illuminate the slumbering form of my wife, Diane. She resembled an angel as the golden rays struck her immobile silhouette giving her an ethereal aura.

I blinked back the tears and tried to lie perfectly still, in fear that this mirage would disappear. The alarm clock beside my bed had other plans and obnoxiously made the rudest,” Beep! Beep!” sounds. Deeply annoyed at being interrupted, I swiftly turned over and slammed the button on the alarm clock.

I got out of bed and moved towards the bathroom in a stiff and crab-like manner. It was a chilly Saturday morning and though the warmth of the bed was tempting, I had a list of chores to deal with. Since I was mostly preoccupied with work during the weekdays, a majority of my household chores were left for the weekend. Once I finished washing up, I descended the stairs towards my kitchen for some coffee.

As soon I entered the kitchen, my three-year-old border collie bounded up to greet me. She was a highly empathetic creature with majestic black fur and two stunning hazel eyes. She enthusiastically licked my hand and offered me her paw which was her signaling me to let her out. I opened the door to the porch and watched as she descended the steps in a hurry and disappeared as she ran around the corner of the house.

I turned back towards the kitchen and switched on the coffee maker. As I waited for the coffee, I looked out the see-through doors of the porch. The sky had a pinkish-purple tinge that was disrupted by a few rays of sunlight that peeked over the mountains. From the house, I had a full view of the Blue Ridge mountains that seemed to stretch endlessly till they disappeared onto the horizon. The scenery was fantastic and one of the reasons that I enjoyed living in Virginia.

As I savored the various sights and the sounds of dawn, I heard the “Click!” sound of the coffeemaker. A delicious aroma of Columbian coffee floated into the air. After pouring a cup, I sat myself down at the kitchen counter with a pen and my journal. I glanced up and saw Diane standing on the porch yawning and stretching her arms. She turned towards me and gave me a warm smile and motioned me to continue journaling.

I felt the familiar twinge of my heartstrings as I steered my eyes downwards to pen down my thoughts into the blank pages. After an hour of focused writing, it was time for some breakfast. As I drank the last sips of my coffee, Sasha came bounding into the room through the porch door that was slightly ajar. I gave her a pat on the head and said,” I think you are hungry as well after your morning run, right darling?”.

I inhaled a solid breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, and toast which was accompanied by another cup of coffee while Sasha got a bowl full of dog food. Once the dishes were rinsed and placed into the dishwasher, it was time for an unending list of chores. As I flitted from one room to the other, I caught glimpses of Diane as she laboured quietly over her artwork at the study table in the corner of our bedroom. She was an artist and we had exhibited several of her pieces in various parts of the house. Often, I would stop to admire the intricate details of her creations.

Though Diane dabbled with various mediums, my favorite was an oil painting that was currently showcased in the living room. It was a self-portrait that captured every detail of this woman that I loved. Her essence is trapped in a myriad of swirling colours carefully stroked onto the blank canvas. These thoughts drifted away as I entered the laundry room and began to organize a pile of clothes.

By noon, I had completed all the household chores with unhalted tenacity. I had earned a well-deserved break and drank lemonade as I stood on the porch. It was silent except for the occasional sound of the wind sifting through the trees that surrounded our property. There was no sound of traffic and this was the primary reason that we had shifted to Virginia five years ago. This was a much-needed solace for both Diane and me after years of living the busy life of New York City.

Our estate was remote and the nearest town was only a short distance away. As I drank my lemonade, I glanced at my next chore which was a sizeable garden in our backyard that had started to look like a small wilderness. Now refreshed, I took the steps down into the yard, I felt refreshed as a cool breeze blew on my face. It was August which meant that the weather was slightly chilly. I preferred to do the yard work during the cooler months since I don’t like being hot.

I passed by Sasha who was contently napping in the sun on a patch of grass. Once I got a few tools from the shed, I popped in my Bluetooth earphones to listen to my favorite jazz blues as I began to tackle the overgrown weeds energetically. Before I knew it, two hours had quickly passed by. I leaned on the shovel as the fatigue started to set. Through the sweat dripping into my eyes, I managed to notice my wife who was frantically trying to get my attention. Her hair flew wildly in the breeze, her hands waving frantically, and the most annoyed expression on her face.

I had completely lost track of time. It was our tradition to have burgers cooked on the grill and sit by the fire during the colder months. I quickly returned the tools to the shed and placed the muddy shoes in the foyer before heading upstairs to have a quick shower. After donning fresh clothes, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed back out to the backyard to get our electric grill started. The second task was a bit more cumbersome since I had to retrieve wood from the shed to get the fire started.

Once I got both going, I went back into the house got the necessary ingredients, and placed them on a wooden table next to the grill. I began grilling the patties while I intermittently sipped on my cold beer. Sasha looked excited and eagerly sat next to the feet with the hope of getting a few pieces of meat. I made sure to make a special patty for her without fail.

Everything was set. I assembled the burgers and made myself a plate. I ate while enjoying the warmth of the fire and tossed Sasha pieces of the meat in between. Once I was satisfied, I leaned my head back into my seat and looked up at the night sky. Tonight, the stars lay unobstructed by clouds and were strangely bright.

I looked down and saw that Diane had snuggled up in her blanket and fallen asleep in her chair on the opposite side of the fire. I smiled a little as I continued to watch her. A strange fatigue had begun to set into my mind. Too tired to clean up, I got up in a stupor and trudged up the stairs to my bedroom. I sat down on the bed and the tears that I had been holding back the entire day poured out. I wept inconsolably into the palms of my hands that covered my face.

Today was my wedding anniversary and this was always the hardest day of the year. Diane had passed away three years ago from an accident but this didn’t stop me from seeing her. The house was filled with her spirit through our memories and everything that she had left behind. Sometimes, it felt that she was still alive in this house and today the memories were stronger than most days. I was exhausted and overwhelmed.

At this moment, Sasha entered the bedroom, whimpered, and looked into my eyes with her hazel-brown eyes. It was as though Diane had sent Sasha to comfort and save me three years ago when my life was falling apart. Now, Sasha saved me once again and comforted me by laying her head on my lap. I laid down on the bed and Sasha followed suit and laid her head over my heart. I drifted to sleep as I thought about Diane one last time. No matter how much it hurt, I could and would never erase the traces that she had left behind.