A trip: WHERE? WHEN?

 

The patio lights going on annoy me. Bess knows I treasure my solitary solitude in the dark before we go to bed. Moonlight entrances me. Stars shine and speak to me. I have, at times, imagined I'm in a space ship rumbling fire from its tail, zooming thru the sky as other astronauts and I pass Mars.  Trying to restrain myself, but can't, I yell up to our window, ‘Damn it, Bess. Turn off these blasted lights. I'll take care of them when I come in.' The patio goes dark.

Little gnats attack me, annoy me. A mosquito lands on my arm and I squash it too late. It dies drinking my blood. More mosquitoes come to its funeral, buzz, make a lot of droning noise. Strangely they don't stop for their supper. They disappear and I am alone.

I stare up at what was a golden moon, now turned to silver. Narrow black clouds ripple across it and become part of the vast unknown background of outer space. It is unimaginable.

 

What's out there has been discovered to a point but then what? Does space just stop? Is there a curtain of some kind blocking us from seeing the other side? I want to know. I want to know.

 

There is a sound in the garden that I don't like. ‘Go home, Busby,' I call to the dog who lives next door. Something is moving in the grass. ‘Busby, go home I said.' A loud bark comes from next door where Busby is running in circles, yipping and barking. I sit up straight in my rocking chair, alert to the sound coming closer. I grab the mop Bess has forgotten and left near the path. I aim the stick as if it were a rifle. ‘This is silly,' I say to the air. Dropping the stupid mop, I walk toward the house. Something solid is in front of me. It feels like a wall but can't see it.

 

The mop is still where I left it. I pick it up and try to force my way thru the wall. The invisible wall is impenetrable, unless, maybe a fire truck can break it down. ‘Bess, come down here right away. I need you. Hurry!’ She sticks her head out of the window to tell me to jump in the lake.She’s going back to bed. I go in the house and dial 911, tell the volunteer about the invisible wall and beg for a fire engine to come quickly and see what is going on in my yard. The line goes dead but then a deep man’s voice asks if I am okay, do I need a doctor.  ‘No, I do not need a doctor. I need a fire engine.’ ‘Where is the fire, Sir?’ I slam the phone down to try again, get another volunteer.

 

‘Dumb jerk,’ I say to myself. ‘Walk around it.’ I get to the gate but can’t open it. The entire house, garden, porch are all inside the wall. ‘
‘Bess, come down here now! We are in big trouble.’ The kitchen door opens. Bess in her robe and slippers stands still. Her arm is raised in the air and her hand grasps a baseball bat. She instantly reminds me of the Statue of Liberty. ‘Come here. Try to open our gate.’ Bess asks me if I am crazy . ‘Okay, so it’s stuck. Where the hell are you going ten o’clock at night?’ With that she turns and goes back inside.

 

Oh, god, what should I do? What is happening to me? I can’t even get in my house now. I will have to sleep on the porch until Bess gets up. Night is a month long. As the sun rises I open my eyes, squint at the bluing sky. My house is gone. Bess is gone. Strange somethings are coming towards me. One blows smoke at my face that is so cold I shiver. All sorts of squeaky sounds, clunks and plunks, a long buzz, and then faces with masks appear. I toss my head frantically from side to side and everything seems to calm down. There is a semblance of peace.

 

A hand, a warm hand, touches my face. A light kiss on my lips and I peer into Bess’s eyes. ‘What is going on, Bess? Where are we? Is this Mars? I ask. ‘You are doing fine, Harry. You can go home on Thursday. Here, let me wet your lips with some cracked ice. Later you can have a little ginger ale. Can you hear me, Harry?’ I blink twice  and hope she understands.

 

‘Dr. Watson was going to cut off your dingaling but changed his mind.’
‘Bess, what are you saying. My dingaling?’  Bess laughs loud while I lie in bed waiting for her answer.’

 

‘You don’t remember now but will. Your appendix ruptured and you now have a jar on the tray that you are not to eat. It contains your appendix. You can take it home but please don’t bring it in the kitchen.’

 

A nurse comes in and gives Harry his allotment of ginger ale and leaves.