Silence
by
Anna McDonald
Every morning as I breakfasted, I could tell what was taking place in my neighbour's house. It was by the closing of their side door. Always with a bang. First it was a medium-sized bang followed by the Volkswagen being revved up. That was May, off to university. Then came the deliberate hard bang by Edward, and then again the same bang. Edward had forgotten his school backpack. Now came May's honk of impatience waiting for Edward.
Five minutes later came the quiet turn of the knob and little push on the door as the father (that's Mr. Ed McDougall) saying good-bye to his wife, Marion.
Quiet followed throughout the day. Except on Thursday. That was the day Marion and I did our grocery shopping together. I always waited for that "bang" and I could hear her muttering under her breath, "When will this blasted thing ever get fixed!"
Always, we went for brunch first. This day Marion was so excited. "Ed has planned to install a small heating stove in the family room," were Marion's first remarks. "Now it will be cozy and warm. It will also cut down on the fuel bill. Ed is going to do his own installing. He's really a handy man at fixing things," Marion chuckled. "That is, big things. But somehow he never gets around to fixing that side door. That big bang we have to give it to close it drives me up the wall. Hope it doesn't disturb you too much."
I laughed. What could I say?
True to form, Ed installed the heating stove that weekend. As it was my weekend to spend time with my mother, I didn't come home until late that Sunday evening. As I am a light sleeper, I was awake at my usual hour. But something was missing. It was the "bangs" from Marion's side door. Maybe Ed had become ambitious and had managed to fix the door as well. But — there wasn't even the sound of a car running.
Should I phone them? Yes, I must. But, no answer. Strange. As a concerned friend, should I phone the police? I must.
Carbon monoxide poisoning. One small item had been installed in reverse. And no carbon monoxide detector had been installed.
The morning sun's rays shed a gold light into the house. There was silence throughout. It was the silence of death.
