Skip to main content

Promises Promises


"It's not the cheating that bothers me, Jim," said my wife, Anne. "It's the lying. I just want you to be honest with me. All the time, even when it hurts. Can you do that?"

"Yes," I said. "I promise."

But I was lying.

And then she died. And in the year since then, I didn't sleep with a single woman. Ironic, right? Also, after that year, I became sure that Anne was visiting me. I felt her presence. I smelt her perfume - so strongly it's like it was sprayed directly at my face.

***

My birthday was coming up, and Lucy, our seven-year-old, was making me a special present. It was top secret, apparently. Every day after school, she locked herself in her room and worked on it until dinner time. I had absolutely no idea what she was doing in there. Occasionally, I heard her talking faintly through the door. But mostly it was dead quiet.

However, she was extremely serious about keeping it a secret. She reminded me daily not to 'look.' I told her I wouldn't. "Do you promise?" she would ask intensely, then she'd stare at me with her sharp green eyes. Her mother's eyes.

"Yes," I would say. "I promise."

But after two weeks, I felt I had to step in. Something just wasn't right anymore. So when she was at school, I searched every inch of her room for her project, but I found absolutely nothing. It was so strange, but I decided to just monitor the situation.

Finally it was my birthday, and I have to admit, my curiosity was piqued. After breakfast, she made me sit on her bed with my eyes closed. Then I heard her knock three times on something, pause, then open it. It sounded like her closet. She repeated this over and over, but also seemed to grow more and more frustrated. I had no idea what the hell she was doing, but she refused to let me open my eyes.

Eventually, she threw herself onto the bed. The closet door was open.

"It's not working!" she cried. Then she looked up at me accusatorially. "You must have looked! Did you look?"

I felt guilty. "No," I told her, "I never looked."

"Do you promise?"

"...Yes."

Eventually, she told me the truth.

"I've been trying to bring Mummy back from the dead."

Cold chills entered me. "What? What do you mean?"

"Elinor told me to."

I gaped at her. Elinor was my wife's middle name. "Who's Elinor?"

She pointed at her laptop. My stomach dropped. I reminded her about not talking to strangers online. She tried to show me the chats, but they were gone. We tried to find 'Elinor,' but she had vanished too.

After that day, the visits from my wife stopped. As time passed, I couldn't help but wonder - crazy as it might sound - what would have happened if I had kept my promise?

What would have happened if I hadn't 'looked?'

---
Credits

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Wish Come True (A Short Story)

I woke up with a start when I found myself in a very unfamiliar place. The bed I was lying on was grand—an English-quilting blanket and 2 soft pillows with flowery laces. The whole place was fit for a king! Suddenly the door opened and there stood my dream prince: Katsuya Kimura! I gasped in astonishment for he was actually a cartoon character. I did not know that he really exist. “Wake up, dear,” he said and pulled off the blanket and handed it to a woman who looked like the maid. “You will be late for work.” “Work?” I asked. “Yes! Work! Have you forgotten your own comic workhouse, baby dear?” Comic workhouse?! I…I have became a cartoonist? That was my wildest dreams! Being a cartoonist! I undressed and changed into my beige T-shirt and black trousers at once and hurriedly finished my breakfast. Katsuya drove me to the workhouse. My, my, was it big! I’ve never seen a bigger place than this! Katsuya kissed me and said, “See you at four, OK, baby?” I blushed scarlet. I always wan...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hans and Hilda

Once upon a time there was an old miller who had two children who were twins. The boy-twin was named Hans, and he was very greedy. The girl-twin was named Hilda, and she was very lazy. Hans and Hilda had no mother, because she died whilst giving birth to their third sibling, named Engel, who had been sent away to live wtih the gypsies. Hans and Hilda were never allowed out of the mill, even when the miller went away to the market. One day, Hans was especially greedy and Hilda was especially lazy, and the old miller wept with anger as he locked them in the cellar, to teach them to be good. "Let us try to escape and live with the gypsies," said Hans, and Hilda agreed. While they were looking for a way out, a Big Brown Rat came out from behind the log pile. "I will help you escape and show you the way to the gypsies' campl," said the Big Brown Rat, "if you bring me all your father's grain." So Hans and Hilda waited until their father let them out, ...
2 comments
Read more

I've Learned...

Written by Andy Rooney, a man who had the gift of saying so much with so few words. Rooney used to be on 60 Minutes TV show. I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows. I've learned .... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my day!' makes my day. I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right. I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child. I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in any other way. I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I...
Post a Comment
Read more