However, all readers - sooner or later - find for themselves a literary genre that is fundamentally different from all others. A Difficult Autumn by Jeffrey Allen White (tools of titans ebook .txt) đź“–
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a long day out with my sister and he called.
“At first, there was no one on the phone and then I heard his voice.”
He said, “Are you there, Irene?”
I knew it was Horace. I mean I know my husbands’… I mean ex-husband’s voice as if it were my own,” she took another small sip. “He asked me if I were alone again. I said yes before I thought of it and I felt uneasy.”
“Uneasy” Shep wondered her use of words.
“Yes, his voice he seemed so distant. In addition, out of the blue after almost two years. He asked if I were alone and foolishly, I said yes. He said he would be right over and he hung up the phone. I was shaken and afraid of why he was coming over and at that hour. I called my sister who also lives in my building and she came right up to be with me. When she got there. I told her what had happened and I was afraid and did not want to be alone when he got there. She said I was absolutely mad for even acknowledging him and letting him invite himself over. She never liked him; my sister Eileen never liked him even when we were married. She said he made her feel awkward and she could not stand to be alone with him. She would never be alone with him and made sure of that. She was fine if I were there.” Irene finished her coffee. Shep motioned for another two coups to be brought over.
“It was around eleven-thirty, when he arrived. He ranged the bell, and Eileen and I just sat there for a moment looking at one another. We could not move. When he rang, again I got up and answered the door. It was Horace and he asked to come in. When he entered the room, he saw Eileen and asked why she was there? I said she was visiting. He seemed anxious and even a little mad that she was there. Eileen sat and said nothing. She just sat there as we talked. Horace put his hat, coat on the chair, and asked to sit. He sat on the chair across from the sofa from where Eileen and I were sitting. I asked him what he had wanted and he did not say anything. I pressed him about it and he said he needed to speak with me about something important. Important? I said to him. What could be so important after two years?
We were no longer in touch; there was no need to know of each other’s lives. I started to cry and Eileen stood and told Horace to get out. Horace started to yell at Eileen and he stood up as if to hit her. I called out to him and he froze still in his step not moving. Eileen also was like a statue not moving. He looked at her like she were dirt and his face was that of someone filled with hate. Eileen told him to go and finally he got his hat and coat and left. As he got to the door, he told me that he would call me again and that it would be in my best interest to talk to him and alone. He closed the door. Eileen jumped up and locked the door behind him. I was crying and fell to the sofa. Eileen comforted me and she stayed all night. We did not talk much. What could either of us say? It was an unpleasant evening and we both wanted to just get over it and forget it.
”After Horace left did you see him again?” Shep laughed to himself because she had to have seen him again if she had killed him. “Did he contact you again?”
“The coffee arrived and Irene sipped it long and slow. It was a week later and I was out doing errands. I was just coming out of the post office and I walked right into him. It was if he were waiting for me there to come out. I was startled and started to run. He grabbed my arm and asked me to please wait and talk to him. I said I could not and why doesn’t he just leave me alone? I tried to get away. People were noticing us now and he let go. I told him I did not ever want to talk to him or see him again and I said I would call the police if he continued. I was upset and I went straight to Eileen’s," Irene was losing her calmness.
“Eileen comforted me and told me to call the police. Nevertheless, what proof did I have after all he just wanted to talk to me? They would think I am a crazy woman if I had any suspicions or fears. I stayed with Eileen that night, in the morning awoke, and walked into the kitchen in one of her robes. I called for Eileen but she did not answer. I searched the entire apartment and she was not there but I looked for a note and there was not anything. I looked outside and even went down to the street after getting dressed back in my apartment. I stopped again at Eileen’s but she still was not to be found. So I went back up to my apartment and locked myself in wondering where Eileen had gone without telling me.”
“Did she seem upset the night before?” Shep wanted to know trying to put things together.
“No, she was there to comfort me and I did not see any thing wrong with her. After an hour or two, I felt very alone and I was starting to become even more afraid. Afraid of where Horace might be and where Eileen was? I started to panic when I remembered I still had Horace’s gun in my closet in one of my hatboxes. I went to get the gun. I do not know why, just for security, for protection. I felt I needed something to protect me.”
“From Horace? Was it Horace who made you so afraid of what he would do or what he wanted to talk to you about?” Shepherd took a sip of coffee.
Irene held onto her purse and said. “I am not sure of which or if it were both those reasons. Whatever reason it was though I was now terrified that Horace was coming after me. Moreover, with Eileen not around I had no one and nowhere to turn to. I held on to the gun as I walked into the living room. As I walked into the room, I noticed the curtains flowing in the breeze from the terrace door. I did not leave the terrace door open. I am sure of it, became very frightened, and backed up and into a tall bookcase. Something in the shelf fell and hit me on the head and I felt I was starting to pass out as I heard the gun go off in my hand," Irene stared frozen as she spoke.
Now Shepherd was looking at Irene and giving him every ouch of his attention. He had forgotten his hangover and his tooth ached was just a dull throb every now and again. “What happened when you fell, did you shoot someone, and was it Horace?” Shep was firm with her now.
“Yes, no… I do not know. I saw someone. You see I must have been knocked out form a falling object and the gun went off in my hands. I saw someone standing in front on me. I don’t remember anything else, I swear it,” Irene started crying and people starting looking at them. Mrs. Belvin looked over at Shep and gave him a look of concern.
“Look, let’s get out of here. We can go to my office. People are starting to get too nosey.” Shep stood and laid out some cash on the table as he took Irene’s hand. She grabbed her purse and together they left the Café and went to his car.
“But my car,” Irene questioned.
”Leave it, I’ll pick it up later, let’s just get you off the street into my office so we can go over this again.” Shep helped Irene into his car and she leaned over to open his door lock as he got in. He took out the key and started the car and they drove to his office.
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“At first, there was no one on the phone and then I heard his voice.”
He said, “Are you there, Irene?”
I knew it was Horace. I mean I know my husbands’… I mean ex-husband’s voice as if it were my own,” she took another small sip. “He asked me if I were alone again. I said yes before I thought of it and I felt uneasy.”
“Uneasy” Shep wondered her use of words.
“Yes, his voice he seemed so distant. In addition, out of the blue after almost two years. He asked if I were alone and foolishly, I said yes. He said he would be right over and he hung up the phone. I was shaken and afraid of why he was coming over and at that hour. I called my sister who also lives in my building and she came right up to be with me. When she got there. I told her what had happened and I was afraid and did not want to be alone when he got there. She said I was absolutely mad for even acknowledging him and letting him invite himself over. She never liked him; my sister Eileen never liked him even when we were married. She said he made her feel awkward and she could not stand to be alone with him. She would never be alone with him and made sure of that. She was fine if I were there.” Irene finished her coffee. Shep motioned for another two coups to be brought over.
“It was around eleven-thirty, when he arrived. He ranged the bell, and Eileen and I just sat there for a moment looking at one another. We could not move. When he rang, again I got up and answered the door. It was Horace and he asked to come in. When he entered the room, he saw Eileen and asked why she was there? I said she was visiting. He seemed anxious and even a little mad that she was there. Eileen sat and said nothing. She just sat there as we talked. Horace put his hat, coat on the chair, and asked to sit. He sat on the chair across from the sofa from where Eileen and I were sitting. I asked him what he had wanted and he did not say anything. I pressed him about it and he said he needed to speak with me about something important. Important? I said to him. What could be so important after two years?
We were no longer in touch; there was no need to know of each other’s lives. I started to cry and Eileen stood and told Horace to get out. Horace started to yell at Eileen and he stood up as if to hit her. I called out to him and he froze still in his step not moving. Eileen also was like a statue not moving. He looked at her like she were dirt and his face was that of someone filled with hate. Eileen told him to go and finally he got his hat and coat and left. As he got to the door, he told me that he would call me again and that it would be in my best interest to talk to him and alone. He closed the door. Eileen jumped up and locked the door behind him. I was crying and fell to the sofa. Eileen comforted me and she stayed all night. We did not talk much. What could either of us say? It was an unpleasant evening and we both wanted to just get over it and forget it.
”After Horace left did you see him again?” Shep laughed to himself because she had to have seen him again if she had killed him. “Did he contact you again?”
“The coffee arrived and Irene sipped it long and slow. It was a week later and I was out doing errands. I was just coming out of the post office and I walked right into him. It was if he were waiting for me there to come out. I was startled and started to run. He grabbed my arm and asked me to please wait and talk to him. I said I could not and why doesn’t he just leave me alone? I tried to get away. People were noticing us now and he let go. I told him I did not ever want to talk to him or see him again and I said I would call the police if he continued. I was upset and I went straight to Eileen’s," Irene was losing her calmness.
“Eileen comforted me and told me to call the police. Nevertheless, what proof did I have after all he just wanted to talk to me? They would think I am a crazy woman if I had any suspicions or fears. I stayed with Eileen that night, in the morning awoke, and walked into the kitchen in one of her robes. I called for Eileen but she did not answer. I searched the entire apartment and she was not there but I looked for a note and there was not anything. I looked outside and even went down to the street after getting dressed back in my apartment. I stopped again at Eileen’s but she still was not to be found. So I went back up to my apartment and locked myself in wondering where Eileen had gone without telling me.”
“Did she seem upset the night before?” Shep wanted to know trying to put things together.
“No, she was there to comfort me and I did not see any thing wrong with her. After an hour or two, I felt very alone and I was starting to become even more afraid. Afraid of where Horace might be and where Eileen was? I started to panic when I remembered I still had Horace’s gun in my closet in one of my hatboxes. I went to get the gun. I do not know why, just for security, for protection. I felt I needed something to protect me.”
“From Horace? Was it Horace who made you so afraid of what he would do or what he wanted to talk to you about?” Shepherd took a sip of coffee.
Irene held onto her purse and said. “I am not sure of which or if it were both those reasons. Whatever reason it was though I was now terrified that Horace was coming after me. Moreover, with Eileen not around I had no one and nowhere to turn to. I held on to the gun as I walked into the living room. As I walked into the room, I noticed the curtains flowing in the breeze from the terrace door. I did not leave the terrace door open. I am sure of it, became very frightened, and backed up and into a tall bookcase. Something in the shelf fell and hit me on the head and I felt I was starting to pass out as I heard the gun go off in my hand," Irene stared frozen as she spoke.
Now Shepherd was looking at Irene and giving him every ouch of his attention. He had forgotten his hangover and his tooth ached was just a dull throb every now and again. “What happened when you fell, did you shoot someone, and was it Horace?” Shep was firm with her now.
“Yes, no… I do not know. I saw someone. You see I must have been knocked out form a falling object and the gun went off in my hands. I saw someone standing in front on me. I don’t remember anything else, I swear it,” Irene started crying and people starting looking at them. Mrs. Belvin looked over at Shep and gave him a look of concern.
“Look, let’s get out of here. We can go to my office. People are starting to get too nosey.” Shep stood and laid out some cash on the table as he took Irene’s hand. She grabbed her purse and together they left the Café and went to his car.
“But my car,” Irene questioned.
”Leave it, I’ll pick it up later, let’s just get you off the street into my office so we can go over this again.” Shep helped Irene into his car and she leaned over to open his door lock as he got in. He took out the key and started the car and they drove to his office.
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Publication Date: 01-15-2011
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