She woke up with the sound of an obnoxious alarm. The green glowing digital numbers all the more vibrant in the morning when the sun has yet to rise. She groans.It's 5:30 a.m. and she is not ready to face the day. She pulls the covers off and slides of the bed. She cringes when her feet touch the cold hard tiles on the floor. She forgets how cold it is in her small home. She searches for her robe and slippers and finds both at the foot of her bed. She drags herself to the bathroom and squints when she turns on the light switch. Whose idea was it, that bathrooms need 1,000 watt flourescent lighting? She was blinded by it and as many times as she entered the bathroom in the mornings she is never prepared for entering the blinding light of the bathroom from the almost pitch blackness of her bedroom.
Thoughts speed through her mind. The rush has already begun. Before she even reaches for her toothbrush, she bombards herself with worries. One right after the other attacking her mind without mercy. "Did I pay the bill yesterday?" "What should I wear for work?" "Do I have that orientation today or is it tomorrow?" "Relax", she tells herself.
She returns to her bedroom and rummages through her closet looking for something to wear and promising herself to lay out her clothes the night before to conserve time. She always promises to do that and she never does and she finds herself in a rush every morning. She turns on the television set to NY1 News, weather and traffic. She needs to be in touch with the outside world. Connected. "Are the trains running on time?" she listens for the report while she dresses. She rushes some more. "Where are my shoes?" She finds them and hops to put them on she hops because she can't stop to put them on she needs to make a cup of coffee. She open the front door and grabs the paper that sits on the steps. She skims through the headlines. Same old thing, different day. Coffee is ready. She grabs her thermal cup, pours the coffee into it and makes sure she has turned off the coffee machine. She grabs her paper, goes quickly for her keys and cellphone which she removes from the charger with such force that she could have possibly broken it but no time to think of that. Her purse is under the table in the foyer. Good. "Does she have everything? Paper, coffee,keys,phone purse? Yes she's good to go. She opens the door and slams it shut. She runs down the long brick path that leads to the sidewalk.
The familiar quick tapping of her heals down on the sidewalk causes her neighbor to look up. He smiles , nods his head in disbelief then turns and kisses his wife on the cheek.
"What are you smiling at?" She asks.
"The woman who lives next door?" He answers.
"I don't ever think I've seen her face. She's always rushing. All I see is a flash of her whizzing by."
"Well, you shouldn't be to concerned about the woman next door." She says and lovingly straightens his tie and pats his lapel.
"You have a woman right here." she says with a smile on her face. She knew her husband loved her. She also knew how much he worried bout everything and everyone around him. He was a kind soul. That's why she fell in love with him.
"I tell you what, mister, I will try to make some contact with our harried neighbor if it will make you feel better." He smiles.
She knew him too well. "I'll see you at six tonight, honey and then we will go to prayer meeting together after dinner." He turns and heads for the car. She waves goodbye as he hits reverse and before you know it he's gone.
Breathing in the morning air, she is thankful. Taking a deep breath and letting it out. She can smell the roses in her garden.
"This is the day that the Lord has made let me rejoice and be glad in it." She shuts the door.
To be continued....