Acta Non Verba

TWO.

The early morning glow was just coming in the window of the bedroom as the silence was broken by a loud ring, then a couple of seconds of silence and then another ring. From under the covers of the bed a hand reached out and slammed down on the alarm clock. Then another ring broke the silence. From under the covers this time a sigh and a muttering came out “Do you know what time it is.” Then another ring came accompanied by a hurried rustling of the covers. Jim tried to scramble to his feet to answer the phone but the sheets had become entangled in his feet. He kicked at them and said gruffly. “Stupid, stupid sheets who invented them? I’d like to have a word or two with him.” Another ring sounded and Jim was able to grab the phone before he fell onto the floor with one lone sheet still entrenched around his right foot. “Hello, do you know what time it is?” he said. At this point Jim was greeted with a loud and annoying dial tone. “That’s great just great. Call me and hang up just as I get there.” he proclaimed.

He stood up scratched just about every part of his body and headed to the bathroom. As he stood over the commode and began to relieve himself of his morning bodily fluids the phone began to ring again. He yelled at the phone, ”Yah right, no stopping me now you will just have to wait.” By the fifth ring he was finished, reached over slammed the handle and headed towards the phone for the second time. This time when he got to the phone he knew they had hung up and his hand hovered over the receiver in anticipation of it ringing one more time. But as he had suspected it did not ring and with that he flung himself onto the bed. He thought, maybe Beth was right I should catch up to the real world and get an answering machine. But hey no messages, no return calls needed. Makes life simple and keeps people out of his hair.

The morning silence was broken for the third time in two minutes, but this time Jim reached the phone after the first ring. He glanced at the clock and answered the phone with an emphatic, “What is so important at, at, six fifteen in the morning?”

The soft spoken answer from the other end of the phone said, “Hey, how is my big hunk of man doing?”

With a rye grin he replied, “Oh I am just fine mom!”

“Mom, mom, you wish your mom looked so good.” the voice replied.

With a chuckle Jim said, “Oh, that is what I love about you baby. You seem to have the perfect come back for all of my jokes.”

The voice on the other end of the phone was his fiancée Elizabeth. He had none her for two years since he met her at his sisters wedding. They had dated for fourteen months and now planned on getting married in six weeks. She was petite, pretty, and probably too energetic for him, but she was definitely built in the same mold as his mother. Beth as he called her was someone who could keep him in line when he got a little rowdy at times. She may worry about him to much, but he loved her more then anything else in this world. Their lives were headed in a positive way with Jim working full time and Beth going on several good paying job interviews in the next couple of days.

“Was that you I saw on the morning news this morning, honey.” she asked him.

“What are you talking about baby?” he replied.

Beth pushed him a little farther but knew he was just trying to be modest about what had happened the night before. “I saw there was a fire and two Police officers had saved a young girl from a burning building!”

Jim said shyly “Oh that, not much happened we got her out before things got bad. No biggie really.”

“I knew I had a great man, but the news person said you both were heroes. Doesn’t matter what happened your still my greatest hero and my man!” Beth continued on, “You are the one and only for me. Just wanted you to know cause I don’t want you to go looking for some other squeeze.”

Jim chuckled. “Baby you are my main squeeze. No changing that now.” He glanced back at the clock which now read six twenty and he said. “I don’t want you to think I don’t love you but I need to get some more sleep baby. It has been a long night.”

“I am sorry but just had to talk to you. I am heading out to an interview this morning.” Beth said.

Jim reached over to the curtain and brushed it back looking out the window. With a quick glance to the sky he said, “Looks like rain better take an umbrella.” Some people would think Jim had a sixth sense about the weather. He always seemed to know what was going to happen. His fellow officers listened to him when he told them it was going to rain. But truthfully it really was nothing. His dad had been a TV weatherman and had taught him a lot about climatology and types of clouds. Certain weather came from specific kinds of clouds. So he looked smarter then he was about it, but he enjoyed making others think he had a special gift.

Beth said, “Are you sure? It doesn’t look bad here.”

“Trust me, grab it or get wet.” Jim said as he yawned and drifted back on to the bed.

“Alright you always seem to know. I will let you get back to sleep now, just wanted you to know I missed you.” Beth said.

“OK baby I love you. Talk to you later.” He said.

“Sleep tight, Love you.” Beth said.

“ Bye.” Jim said as he put the phone back on the hook. He thought, maybe I can get a couple more hours sleep. Two maybe three more and then I will go work out, yah work out. He rolled over pulled the covers back over his head and drifted off to sleep.

More Ahead.....