The Thief of Lost Time

Chapter 1: "Come as Soon as Possible"

At three o'clock on Saturday, my sister calls from our parents' home. "Mark, come here as soon as possible." Speaking softly Leslie sounds desperate. This is unlike her. As a public relations director, she is unflappable. No emergency can disrupt her poise.

"Speak up. I can hardly hear you."

"I'm at Mom and Dad's. I found them in their nightclothes. They've been drinking."

"Oh, dammit." No sooner is one problem resolved, then up crops another.

"I know. I've been suspicious lately but couldn't be sure. I hate to do this to you, but I'm taking clients out for dinner and I must get home."

"I'll drive over now."

"Stop for some food on your way? There's nothing in the frig..." Her list grows. "...before I leave, I'll explain Mom's meds."

"The shopping will hold me up." I'm not complaining, but I'm hopeless in the market, constantly asking for directions when what I'm looking for is right in front of me. "If it was a bear," Mom is fond of saying, "he'd bite you."

"Do the best you can." Leslie sighs. "They've been sick. Look, I can't talk now."

***

Before I can ring the bell, Leslie opens the door, her coat on, ready to leave.

"What took you so long?"

I suppress a flash of irritation and briefly stick my head into the living room. "Hi, guys."

"Oh, Mark, can you—?" That's Dad.

"I'll be right in. Let me put these bags down."

The windows are wide open, an early autumn breeze lifts the curtains like streamers. An unpleasant odor lingers in the house.

"—close these windows?"

"Dad, I'll be there in a sec."

Leslie places a bag of groceries beside the sink. "When I walked in, there was a terrible smell." She grips my arm. "For a moment, I thought one of them had died. They were asleep on the sofa. I woke them and opened all the windows. I got Mom into a clean nightgown. Dad wants to take a shower, so I'll leave that for you. Remind him to use the rubber mat."

Leslie is always organized. This is why she's successful, but she can be overbearing.

"I hope the cleaner comes next week. The whole house needs a good cleaning." She frowns and bites her lip. There's something more she wants to say. "Anyway, this is the story on her meds..."

***

Leslie kisses Mom and Dad goodbye. "See you tomorrow."

At the door, she promises to call me when her dinner is over. "Now I remember. Check the dryer for clean clothes. Make sure there's nothing damp in the washer."

The door closes, and I take a deep breath.

In the living room, I kiss Mom. "I'll boil some water for tea while I put away the groceries." From the kitchen, I hear my father trying to close one of the windows. "Dad, I'll do that." I speak cheerfully as if this is a routine visit.

Mom is talking, but I can't make out what she's saying. Neither can Dad because he keeps asking "What, dear?" and "Say again?" He's going deaf, but even with perfect hearing, he'd have trouble deciphering her words. How on earth do they communicate? The thought chills me: they're like two people living alone but in the same house.

"I made peppermint tea." I carry in the tea tray trying to sound excited. "The doctor wants you to drink eight glasses of water a day."

"Ha!" Dad grunts. "If I did, I'd be on the pot all day."