The Clackamas print., January 18, 1995, Page 7, Image 7

Imagine
Liquid eyes
Intoxicated dreams
Swirling in kaleidoscope fantasy
Of graceful emotion
Distant eyes
Entranced by visions
Held Spellbound
With fascination
Jen
t was Daniel’s wife color blind was on. Daniel always
got hungry watching this one. He re­
who got him started lated all his paintings to food. Once
watching these fool he declared that paintings were like
vegetable soup, then paused as a
painters. It had been easier
look of hungry longing came over
to give in to her than to fight his face. Daniel had realized the man
I
for his football games. Now
every Sunday morning he was
glued to the set watch­
ing these three guys.
They were
/ like
old
friends now.
The first one
was the
heavy
breather. Daniel
sure got a kick out of
him. He had frizzy,
gray hair that
looked like a
brillo pad. Daniel
thought This guy had
asthma or maybe ajob moonlight­
ing as an obscene caller. Once he
told his viewers to talk to their paint­
ings, and if people thought they were
strange - it was OK. What a nutcase!
Now he was inviting Daniel, to “get
a little crazy’"Daniel would take that
advice when he saw Ruthie later to­
day. She was one sexy lady. Some­
times he wondered if his wife knew.
He thought she probably did. She
had always known what he was feel­
ing even before he did, to hear her
tell it.
Daniel stood up and walked over
to the table by the TV. He picked
up the box of chocolates his daugh­
ter had given him for Christmas and
popped a dark chocolate filled with
orange cream into his mouth. The
heavy breather had said good-bye
and now the pudgy man who was
was color blind when he said most
trees were not really green. Daniel
finished off a nutty caramel as the
man finished his Christmas version
of vegetable soup.
Before the English man with the
clicking false teeth came on, Daniel
went into the bathroom to brush his
teeth, dab on cologne, and check out
the rakish smile he planned to greet
Ruthie with. Feeling satisfied that
she wouldn’t be able to resist him,
he flipped off the light and headed
back out toward the TV. He paused
at the table by the window and turned
the picture of his wife, wearing her
accusing look, face-down. He
parted the curtains and looked out
to see snow airbrushing a Santa and
a Rudolph with a blinking, red nose.
Daniel imagined he couid hear the
sizzle of the feathery flakes as they
landed on Rudolph’s nose.
Daniel let the curtain fall and
went to his chair. He plopped him­
self down and saw this last painter
busy with his usual tree and water
scene. This guy was confused. He
maintained that paper was water. He
always told his viewers not to worry
about trees or water, as long as they
were warm and dry while painting
them. He constantly cautioned his
viewers to use “just a weeny bit” of
paint. Daniel thought this clown
ought to worry “just a weeny bit”
about those teeth of his.
As the man clicked his good­
byes, Daniel switched off the TV. It
was time to go meet Ruthie. She
would be home from church now.
Daniel’s heart thumped as he thought
of her snuggled next to him, her soft
hair tickling his nose. After a last
look at the overturned picture,
Daniel left, quietly easing the door
shut behind him.
Ruthie lived just two doors down.
As Daniel raised his hand to knock,
she opened her door, wearing only a
lover’s smile. He rushed into her
arms, where he lay all afternoon, still
whispering endearments as the fall­
ing snow brought an early dusk.
Later that afternoon.......
Peggy Burt wheeled Mrs.
Fletcher out of her room and down
the hall toward the dining room. As
she passed rooms 36 and 38, she saw
both doors were shut. She saw
Donna, the charge nurse,, at the
nurses station and flagged her down.
“Donna, Mr. Black and Mrs.
Gooding are at it again. Should I
break up the lovebirds and send them
to dinner?” Donna smiled at her.
“No, they know it’s dinnertime.
They won’t stay too long and take a
chance on us finding out their se­
cret.” Peggy laughed. “Besides Peg,
they live for each other.” “Ya, I
guess you’re right,” Peggy said,
smoothing Mrs. Fletcher’s hair. “It’s
sad though, his wife has been dead a
year and he still sneaks around.”
Donna smiled and shrugged. “Are
you in thé feeder room tonight Peg?”
Peggy nodded. As she turned the
wheelchair, she gave Mrs. Fletcher
a pat and said, “See you there
Donna.” Donna wayed and began
humming Silent Night.
Susan Davenport