Fragments Gallery
Empty
The room, once so full, now lies empty. Its inhabitant is gone. All around lay their scattered belongs, empty and without purpose. Each piece still held its own story but now lacking of meaning.
I am alone in this room sitting in the armchair. Across from me is the rocking chair where he spent so many hours. The chair fills my vision, at this very moment it fills my world. I keep waiting for him walk into the room, footsteps slow but strong, and fill that vacant void. I tell myself it will never happen again. Those days are past. I can’t seem to believe my own words.
Never before have I felt more alone.
Faint warm light creeps in past the curtains as the clouds shift. Briefly the lights falls across the single small stack of books lovingly placed on the end table near that old rocker. It falls on the cool coffee stained ceramic mug which I have not yet had the heart to wash. The clouds shift once more and the light fades and then brightens again. It crawls across the white carpet and deep burgundy rugs, slowly climbing the end table up to the colourful tapestries hanging on the walls above.
My eyes rove across those tapestries, taking in the familiar patterns and images. They would have to be taken down soon, packed away into storage. So much would change here. So much already has.
Something creaks in front of me and I look up, my eyes wide and hopeful as I search for that familiar form sinking once more into the rocking chair. But it is just the cat, Cassie, settling into her favorite chair. She would be coming home with me after this, I figured. I can't just leave her here. I can't leave her alone. I idly wonder if she would miss her oldest friend as I do. Would she remember who she had lost or would she just know that something was wrong, something was missing, in her life? Would she even realize that something had changed?
Who could tell? All I know is that I will be there for her, just as she will be there for me.
Something disturbs her and with a meow she vanishes into the kitchen.
I stare after her before I return to my observation of the room.
The lamp in the corner clicks on, even though the golden light still seeps in the window. It is summer, and if it were still spring the timer would turn the light on just before sunset. Were this any previous year he would have changed the timer at the beginning of summer, but this year... He must not have gotten around to it.
My gaze returns to that empty rocker sitting across from me. It always returns there. That rocker acts as a lodestone for my vision. A constant pull which I cannot resist.
The doorbell rings and I realize what must have drawn Cassie away. I guess I should answer that, I think, as I stare moodily in the doors direction. However rising seems like too much effort so I remain seated.
A moment passes before the bell rings again. I sigh and give in.
As I rise a thought occurs to me.
I was wrong about never seeing that chair filled.
One day it will be me.