Chapter One: It was all too familiar. The blue and red lights flashing in his rearview mirror were like an omen, bidding him to return to his old habits. How did he always end up in situations like these? Why couldn't he just have slowed down two or three miles per hour? Why was it always him that got caught and not the guy who was cruising at ninety? He didn't know, neither could he think of an answer that would satisfy his reeling mind. The last thing he wanted to do was lash out at his family. All he wanted was to close his eyes and make everything go away, all his worries and his cares, but then again, only mothers could do that.
The officer approached his window and gave it a tap when he didn't roll it down.
"Good evening, Officer. What can I do for you tonight?" he asked with pleasant nonchalant ness. He even managed to paste a happy-looking rigid smile across his face.
"Well," the officer began, "I caught you doing sixty-six in a fifty-five." Great, he thought, just one less mile per hour and I might have been able to get off with a warning. The worst part of it was that he was on vacation, with his family, all of whom were in the car and quietly observing his silent, upset episode. Even worse was it happened out of state. They were vacationing in Florida, finally taking that family vacation to Disney World that every honest family dreams of someday taking. They had been on their way to the newest park, The Animal Kingdom.
"I need to see your license and registration, sir," the officer's words came crashing through his thoughts.
"Oh, um, let me see," he began as he opened his wallet to retrieve his Maryland State license. Suddenly he turned to his wife, "do you have the registration?"
"Check the glove box," she said, seemingly unconcerned. He checked every piece of white clutter that he could find, but there was no registration. Oh God, he thought, this is it. No registration means even more trouble.
"It's not in here," he said, frustrated with her unwillingness to help his situation. Then again, it was he who had been speeding in the first place. Their five year old daughter laughed carelessly in the back seat. As much as he loved her, he couldnt help but be frustrated by her ability to laugh at the situation.
"I'm really sorry," he spoke as he turned to the waiting officer, "we're staying in the Coronado Springs Resort right down the road, we must've left it in the room."
"Uh, okay, well, let me see what I can do," the officer said as he turned from the blue Honda Accord and strolled back to his patrol car. They all sat in the car, watching the officer talking on his CB through the rearview mirror. It took him a few minutes, but he finally returned, carrying a small piece of paper on a small clipboard.
"I'm gonna need you to sign this, it's not an admission of guilt, just a statement that you'll call the state court and address this matter," he handed him the clipboard and pointed to where he was supposed to sign with his pen, which he then handed to him. He took the pen and, after letting his gaze travel over the ticket, signed his name at the bottom. The officer handed him a copy and he was free to go.
He breathed a slight breath of relief. Relief that it was over, that he didn't have to deal with any more officers at the moment. The car was silent the rest of the ride except for the sound of the wind rushing through the small crack in one of the back windows. Even his daughter was silent, which was rare. No one spoke until they arrived at the park. Hopefully they could still have some fun and the day wouldn't be wasted.
Despite the incident that morning, he had been looking forward to this trip for a long time, and still was. It was only their second day there and they were supposed to stay for two weeks. He was hoping that whatever was keeping he and his wife separated mentally and sometimes physically could be resolved during their stay at what was known as the place for families to come together. All he could see was the happy family pictured on the front of the travel brochure, all holding hands with these huge grins pasted on their faces, obviously having a great time. He only wished that his family could come together like that. He felt so far away from them, like he was in the middle of a busy, crowded city, where no one knows your name and no one hears you when you scream. What happened to the happy woman he married six years ago? When had she undergone this huge transformation? Why hadn't he been able to see it coming, to fix the problem before it got out of hand? He shrugged his shoulders, as though finally giving up and focused on the long stretches of crowded walkways, screaming children, and crowded lines. He felt drained, emotionally and physically. He just smiled faintly whenever his daughter said anything to him.
Later that night, he lay in one of the two beds that were in their room. He heard the water running in the small bathroom as his wife and daughter washed for bed. It was late and Kate, his daughter, was getting groggy and she kept rubbing her eyes as her mother tried to brush her teeth and wash her face. She carried her to the bed next to his and laid her down and covered her up. Then, she went back to the mirror to finish washing off the rest of her makeup and then brushed her teeth. His eyes were closed, but he could still hear her flip off the lights. Will she sleep with me tonight, he thought, or Kate? He was almost nervous when she began to walk towards the beds. Which one would she choose? The past few days before the vacation she had been staying up late, packing their things, and then falling asleep on the couch. Anything but climb into another bed with him. What was so terrible about him? Why had she shunned him? What did he do to deserve this punishment? He opened his eyes a few minutes later and saw that she had settled in bed already, with Kate. She hadn't even said good night. He rolled over to his other side and stared at the wall. His mind was awake, and it was not letting him fall asleep tonight. He was exhausted too, after walking every inch of that park, then re-tracing every step they had taken to find Kate's little pink hat.
About an hour later, he got up and walked outside. Their room was on the fifth level and the rooms were arranged in a sort of villa design. It was all a Mexican theme, which made it even more charming. The lights dazzled over the small lake at the center of the resort and fountains made the colored lights reflect in all directions. There was a large pool facility across the lake, and despite the late hour of the night, there were a lot of people enjoying the warm night nonetheless.
It was all so romantic, the fountains, the lake, the lights, the carefree atmosphere of the whole place. A place you have to share with somebody. So why did he feel so alone? It was only in the past few months that he had felt them drifting apart. They used to be so close, he could share anything with her. The only thing in the world that he wanted right now was the love of his family. His stomach ached with a feeling of dread, as though it wasn't through yet.
He awoke the next day to the sound of the phone ringing. He rolled over sleepily and picked it up.
"Hello," he said groggily.
"Hee-yuck! Hee-yuck!" a familiar voice resounded from the receiver, "it's time to get up!" He realized that the call was from the Resort, a call that they had scheduled last night for six-thirty AM. He rolled back over, but he was awake now, there really was no use trying to fall back asleep again after the battle he had fought last night with insomnia. He felt his legs swing over the side of the bed and then touch the cold floor. He rubbed his eyes and realized that someone had left the curtains open. He watched as a vivacious young couple chatted spiritedly over how they would get to be the first ones in the parks, which opened at nine AM. He glanced at the clock again, six-thirty-three. He slowly made his way to the bathroom, to take a leak and get in the shower.
His favorite time was time in the shower. He was alone with his thoughts and he didn't have a wife constantly scrutinizing his every move and word. He wondered where all the love had gone. Why had their loving relationship dissipated? Everyone knows that love often fades, especially within the first few years. They still had the rest of their lives together, presumably. They'd probably end up sleeping in separate beds, separate rooms by the time they're thirty-five.
He toweled his head and the rest of his body. Then, he picked up his razor and shaved off the nubs that had grown overnight. He stared at his razor, it was absolutely decrepit. It had old pieces of hair stuck on some of the blades and some were rusted. He was about to throw it away when he realized that he hadnt shaved his neck yet, so he rinsed the razor and went to work on his neck.
She heard him running the water in the bathroom, he must be taking a shower. Why did he always have to be so distant? It was like he didn't even want to be part of the family anymore. She had been working so hard lately on packing for the trip and tying up loose ends at work that she really hadn't had much time for him. She was sorry, in a way, but she wouldn't admit, at least not to him. The water stopped in the bathroom, but then started again, sporadically. He must be shaving now. It was almost quirky that she knew every part of his daily routine without even having to watch him. She didn't know what was happening, it was as though they were beginning to drift apart. She smiled as she ran over the memories of them walking down the aisle on what was meant to be their special day, a day that they would never forget. Indeed, it was a day that they would never forget. It was a December wedding and the weather forecasters were calling for below zero temperatures and heavy snows. By the time they had arrived at the reception hall, snow was falling like there was no tomorrow, and in the world of electricity, there wasn't. True, they all did have fun while having snowball fights outside, but it just wasn't the storybook wedding that she had dreamed of. In fact, she had always thought of it as somewhat foreshadowing their future together-all fun and games, and not at all serious.
He finished shaving and started on his teeth. He wondered at how she managed to keep hers so white and pearly-looking all the time. His were yellowed with age and desperately needed a bleaching. It really wasn't that important to him, though. |  | Go Home! Gimme Feedback! |
