“Unintended consequences make the world go round” – “The Hollow Girl” by Reed Farrel Coleman

As Gaby prepares to hit the road for another adventure in shopping I remind her – “Don’t forget the Orange Juice.”

I must have my O.J. in the morning. It’s one of my cherished rituals.

A cloud of caliche signals her departure.

90 minutes later – a cloud of caliche signals her return.

I help her bring in the half dozen bags of treasure – including the Orange Juice.

As we put things away, I can’t find the Orange Juice.

Gaby, where is the Orange Juice?

Damn, I forgot it.

You forgot it. How could you forget it? That was the primary reason you went to the store. (At this point all kinds of alarms are bouncing around in my skull)

Well, I looked for it but couldn’t find it.

Couldn’t find it? My God – the O.J. section is 6 ft. wide and 8 ft. high. How could you possibly miss it?

Stop yelling at me. It’s all your fault anyway.

My fault!

Yes. Remember last month when you………………(fill in the blanks)

This is where I realize further discussion is useless.

So……………I retreat to my special place where the world leaves me alone. Silence and contemplation. So what if I drool.

Later in the day, staring at the boob tube, I suddenly feel weak. Dizzy. Sweating, Clammy.

Oh no – I’m having the big one. That thought did go through mind. Turns out I was experiencing the early stages of stomach flu.

So we kind of panic. One thing a Gate Guard cannot do is get sick. It messes up the rotation.

Later, as I lay in bed trying to get a grip on the awful pain emanating from my stomach, Gaby inquires as to my situation.

Well just how the hell do you think I’m doing? I’m not feeling too good. It’s all your fault.

My fault?

Yes – you forgot the Orange Juice. I roll over and cherish the moment.

“In the end, it’s true: The older you get, the less you know; at least, the less you know for sure.” – “The Hollow Girl” by Reed Farrel Coleman