Summer Scene: Chapter 1

Leaning Against the Window in the Bedroom Foyer: Wexford, PA

Pale orange light of the afternoon purs down over my head
Hands are cold; my heart is pounding
I'm reading the same line in this book over and over again
The windowsill is pressing into my back.
Just beyond it is the sound of a child riding a bike
Cars are lumbering in and out of the drive.

A violent retch; the shadows are blending with the walls
I straighten against the wall, soliciting more light; I'm reading the fourth line for the third time

Another sound erupts from the bathroom, my eyes stop on the page
The carpet beneath me is hard, bristled; sweat beads over my forehead
The bed in the adjacent room casts its growing shadow toward the bathroom
Looking to the television's grey screen, I can see her reflection
Her wheelchair hums along the carpet, the sheets rustle beneath her

Ink stains my thumbs; I turn to the second page.