One More Night (Richonne Story)

I Can't Explain It

I kept myself busy during the day, preparing meals, chopping and stacking logs in the woodshed, shoveling snow, taking walks with Noah, and reading Rick's first novel which I'd downloaded onto my Kindle.  

I'd taken to going to bed at 8 PM each night so that my sleeplessness wouldn't affect me too much. I still got the 'being watched' feeling but chalked it up to the night that I heard the noises and saw the footprints. It was easier than trying to work out exactly what had happened that night. I'd analyzed it over and over, still couldn't come up with a plausible theory that made complete sense.

On Saturday, I'd been into town and back, picked up the last bits and pieces I needed for the meal I was cooking for Maggie and Glen tonight.

When I got back home that afternoon, the skies decided it was time to bring out the sunshine, the first spell I'd seen for a few days, and it gave me a needed boost to my state of mind.

I finally got around to hooking up Daddy's record player and put on one of his favorites, an old Steve Wonder record from the 70's. I fell into a happy rhythm moving room to room through the cabin, cleaning, and dusting.

I'd hardly found myself thinking of Daryl, a realization that came with a large spoonful of guilt. I owed his mom a call too, I'd promised to keep in touch while I was in Blue Ridge, but our conversations were always wooden and dismal. The only thing we really had in common these days was her dead son. I decided I'd call her next week and maybe in the meantime print some photos to put up on the living room mantel. Maybe a small framed wedding photo of Daryl and me, a few of the scanned photos of my childhood at the cabin with Mom and Dad, a family portrait of Morgan, Carol, little Duane, Sophia, and Papa and Gram's wedding portrait. It felt like a way I could still acknowledge and respect my past with Daryl without having to feel guilty about him not overwhelming my thoughts.

I was chopping herbs, vegetables, and seasoning the rack of lamb; I set everything in pans and was wiping down the countertop, the front door swung open and hit the wall with a bang. It made me jump and Noah sprung up from his spot by the fire, began whining as he scurried over to me, his tail between his legs.

I hurried over to shut it quickly, trying to prevent any more heat from escaping; the sound I heard caused my breath to halt and I froze mid-step. The door slammed shut, the latch slowly turned in its bracket and the accompanying squeak as the door opened all the way again, this time slowly. Fear ran through me like an icy bolt of lightning.

I am not sure how much time had passed, it felt like an eternity.

Eventually, the fear subsided, and once I felt ready, I checked the front door...

It was still shut...

So I got on with it, turning my attention to getting ready for my company tonight. I still had things to do before G and Mags arrived and it wasn't in my nature to just collapse in a heap and simply stop. So much so it was probably a fault of mine, but I was a Jones, so I picked myself up and kept going.

I dressed in a fuchsia colored sweater dress with black leggings and black ankle boots. I returned downstairs, summoning all my inner resilience and sternly telling myself I had nothing to worry about. Whether the door swung open by unnatural forces or by a sudden burst of wind, or even only in my own imagination, I'd be damned if I'd ever be scared to move about my own damn house.

I put on a different record, Donnie Hathaway, began setting the table and turning the golden potatoes that were roasting in the oven and putting on some greens to steam. The rosemary lamb still needed a little longer but smelled divine. Afterward, I opened a bottle of Merlot so it could have a chance to air and left it on the dining table along with three wine glasses. I didn't know if aerating red wine really made a difference, but G always made a point to air wines when hosting dinner parties at his home. I paused at the dining room window to look out at the lake. The sun was setting, the soft hues of yellow and orange, fusing as the sun dipped below the horizon made me smile. Taking it in, I felt thankful that even after all the loss I'd experienced in my life, I could still appreciate all the good left to see in the world.