The Sheet

Act Four

When he had unwrapped it, he had placed the envelope on top of the sheets. But when he looked for it later, there was no sign of it. He searched everywhere but found nothing. He decided to give the paper to the first person he came across. He tried with the mother of the boy who was looking for something to draw for her son. But when he handed it to her, she commented without any sense, 'Oh, how nice! Don't worry, you don't need to ruin your drawing; I'll find something else.' Upset, he took the paper back, and besides the words he had read, there was nothing on it. He tried to insist, but she was unyielding. He even tried with the doctor who came to see him, and in response, the doctor gave him his pen to 'continue writing his lovely story.'

In the end, he folded it back and placed it on the nightstand. Hours passed, and the morning seemed to pass more quickly than expected towards sunset. Finally, he made his decision. After all, what could be worse? Perhaps that strange individual and his gift were a reward for everything he had been through.

He remembered well those who had inflated and then burst a chewing gum bubble on his head on the day of his hospitalization, amidst the laughter of all the kids in the high school yard. It was for that reason that Dad, seeing his hair completely gummed up, had exploded in anger and beaten him bloody.

He still heard his words: 'I had to become the father of a halfwit.'

With a lump in his throat, he took paper and pen and began to write down what had been tormenting him since the morning.

I don't want to be mistreated by my father and my classmates anymore. I want a better life!

When he finished, he stayed there waiting for a sign, a wave of energy, or anything that would make him feel different, but nothing happened. Exhausted from anxiety, he collapsed into a deep sleep. However, the next day, someone unexpectedly came to see him. It was his elderly neighbor. She told him he would come to live with her. At the time, he thought it was a joke, or worse, she had become senile due to her age. Instead, she brought him clean clothes, helped him change, and led him out of the hospital, not before the doctors handed her sheets with the various medications he would have to take for a while.

"But Dad?" He asked at one point.

"Oh, sweetheart..." she said, a little sad. "Your dad disappeared on the day the ambulance took you away."

"Oh!" Was the only thing he managed to say.

The old lady lived alone; her husband had died a long time ago, and her son was abroad for work. He had to settle in his son's room, and there he remained, not knowing what to think or feel. The paper - or whatever it really was - worked: he was sure of that now. But his father had disappeared into thin air. He certainly couldn't and didn't want to be sad. Finally, one of the worst things in his life had been removed. But what if something happened to him? Would it be his fault? And suddenly, he had an insight. He could ask that piece of paper. Of course, he might waste some space, but the desire to know was too great, and after all, he still had plenty of paper to fill. So he took out the folded paper he had put in his sweatshirt pocket and went downstairs. He asked the elderly lady for a pen and sat down in the kitchen, where she turned on the television for him.

"Keep yourself distracted, dear. I'm going to lie down for a bit. Wake me up if the phone rings; my son should have called by now... What a rude boy!" Finished her monologue, she headed for the bedroom, leaving him alone. He thought for a moment about what he should write and then put it on paper.

How has my life changed exactly? What happened to my father?

He waited, trying to distract himself with the TV. On a random channel, they were broadcasting one of the many ridiculous afternoon programs. When he picked up the remote to change the channel, the screen darkened for a moment, and immediately afterward, the news jingle played with the text: BREAKING NEWS. With goosebumps and a racing heart, he was glued to the screen, listening to the words of the reporter, who was clearly disturbed by what she was saying; it concerned his town.