Dreams

Chapter 11

Sapphire didn’t go back to sleep. She decided to ask the chief to teach her how to make something. When he asked what she said whatever you are going to make for dinner with genuine cheer in her voice and smile on her face I never thought I’d see. The chief was stunned for a moment, then for whatever reason grew a big lipped huge grin that stretched right across his face and started to laugh; like something had made him so happy all he could do was laugh. Right away, of course, was his reply once he stopped laughing. I watched the kitchen from my seat on the couch. I never thought I’d see Sapphire so happy, and most certainly not on the same day that her ‘beloved’ boyfriend broke up with her. It was almost like she was a different person. I wondered if this person I saw was the one Mr. O’Connell had told me about before she changed.

    When they were close to finishing dinner she rushed over to me with a sample of the food; it was a little piece of chicken. She watched me take the toothpick that held the chicken and eat it from the stick.

    “That’s pretty good.” I smiled at her softly.

    Her smile widened as she ran back into the kitchen. She reminded me so much of a young child, trying to impress someone they looked up to.

    When I could tell the food was almost done I asked if I could help with anything. Sapphire refused to let me do anything. Instead she insisted she would set everything out. I smiled as I watched her scrabble around the kitchen opening door after door not finding any of the plates or silverware. Every morning when I got in I would come here, get a spoon, and stir my morning drink; so, at least I knew where that was. I opened the top wood darer closest in the kitchen sink. She looked down to see the silverware, her mouth open a little, and looked back at me.

    “Thank you.”

    I gave her my gentle smile.

    “Sir, where are the plates kept?” I asked for her.

    “Right in that cabinet, Ms. Constance.” The chief smiled at me as he pointed to the cabinet to the left of my head.

    “Thank you very much.” I smiled back at the sweet elderly man.

    After seeing him almost everyday I was used to his height as he stood over me by a few inches. This man reminded me of a Santa like figure without the beard, mustache, and red suit. What I could never figure out was why he put up with Sapphire when she was so horrid. If I had to guess I would have suspected he was close to her before, but I couldn’t be certain. The few times I had seen her around him she acted like he wasn’t even there, but now she acted like none of that ever happened. Often I found myself asking, could her boyfriend really have done all of this to her? Surely he couldn’t have just taken total control, right? As much as I always wanted the answer, I was in no place to ask so. It was none of my business.