Chapter One
IT WAS THE Day Before It Happened.
The third Tuesday in January.
The day after Martin Luther King Jr day, so to all intents and purposes it was the beginning of the working week.
‘Do you want eggs?’ Matthew Gibbons called out, his voice competing with the sound of Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny on the television and the first batch of eggs cooking on the stove.
No answer. Matt shrugged and continued stirring the eggs.
‘More Coco Snaps, Daddy,’ called out a voice from the table behind him.
‘Hold on a second,’ said Matt, quickly turning some eggs over.
‘I’ll get them, Daddy,’ came the reply.
‘No, wait. I’ll -’ Matt moved the pan off the stove and turned round, just in time to see his five year old son lean over and knock the cereal box on the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.
‘Oh, Nathan, no,’ Matt wailed as he knelt down to pick up the box.
‘Sorry, Daddy,’ said Nathan quietly.
Leaning over, Matt reached under the sink and pulled out a small dustpan and brush. He swept up the mess and emptied the grains into a bin. Stood up and put the box back on the table.
‘More Snaps, then?’
Nathan thought for a few seconds, then said, ‘No. I don’t think so.’
‘Fine. Want some eggs then? Or just toast?’
‘Just toast please, Daddy.’
‘Okay. Let me just finish the eggs.’
Matt turned back to the pan of eggs.
‘Just toast please, Daddy.’
‘Yes, I heard, sport. Just hold a second.’
‘And jelly.’
Matt raised his eyes. Was just about to say something when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked up as his wife Ruth wandered into the kitchen.
‘Do you want eggs?’ he asked again.
Ruth started to pour herself a cup of coffee.
‘French toast?’ she asked, taking a sip.
Matt said nothing. Just stared at her.
‘Forget the French toast. Eggs will be fine,’ Ruth said, sitting down at the table. She sniffed. ‘Don’t burn the bacon.’
‘Shoot.’ Matt pulled the tray of bacon from the stove. Just in time.
He served two plates of bacon strips and eggs and sat down at the table with Ruth and Nathan.
‘Daddy, you forgot the toast,’ said Nathan insistently just as Matt picked up a piece of bacon.
‘I’ll get it,’ Ruth mumbled as she got up and put a slice of bread in the toaster.
‘Two slices,’ said Nathan.
‘Two?’ asked Ruth. ‘You sure?’
‘Sure, Mommy. One for me and one for Mr Rex.’ Nathan held up a rubber Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Matt looked up. ‘I thought Mr Rex was a meat eater.’
Nathan grinned.
‘Silly me. One piece of toast. And some bacon for Mr Rex.’
Matt picked up a strip of bacon and tossed it over to his son.
‘You taking the car today?’ Matt asked as Ruth sat back down again. ‘Or walking?’
Ruth looked up at the wall clock. ‘Oh, I’ll walk in today. Take advantage of the fresh air. Then you can have the car at least.’
‘Well, don’t go across the common tonight.’
‘Do I ever in the dark?’ Ruth asked as she got up and buttered Nathan’s toast.
‘Well, come back via Charles.’
‘No. I’ll use Tremont and Beacon.’
‘Charles is quicker.’
‘Yeah, but my route is more interesting.’
Matt shrugged and finished his eggs.
‘What’s your plan for the day?’ Ruth asked, wiping her mouth and straightening her clothing.
‘Well, after I’ve dropped little Mr G off at Bambinos, I’ll double back here. I’ll need to fix that broken guttering out back and the handrail down to the cellar needs fixing.’
‘Should keep you busy.’
‘Only got two days vacation. Plan to make the most of it.’
‘You back to work Thursday, then?’
Matt finished his coffee. ‘U-huh.’
Ruth walked over to him. ‘Well, I’ll be off now. See you tonight.’ She reached up and kissed Matt, then leaned over to kiss Nathan on the top of the head. ‘Bye, sweetie.’
‘Bye to Mr Rex!’ Nathan called out, spraying the table with toast and jelly.
‘Bye Mr Rex!’ Ruth called out from the front door.
‘Right, Mister,’ Matt said after he heard the door close. ‘Time to get you ready for Bambinos.’
Half an hour later, Matt and Nathan were walking slowly down the street.
‘Are you coming to pick me up tonight?’ asked Nathan. ‘Or is Mommy?’
‘Me tonight, sport. I’m not at work today, but Mommy is. So you drew the short straw.’
Nathan frowned. ‘Short…?’
Matt laughed and ruffled his hair.
‘Forget it. I’ll pick you up tonight.’
Bambinos kindergarten was on Chestnut and Spruce, just three blocks away from Matt and Ruth’s. Matt kissed Nathan goodbye, said he would see him at four that afternoon, then walked back home, picking up that morning’s Boston Herald on the way back. Another cup of coffee while he scanned the newspaper and cleared away the breakfast things, then out to the garage for the stepladder to start his list of chores for the day. He had two days’ off from his job at the bank; or rather time off earned for working the last four Saturdays to cover absent colleagues. Either way, he intended to make the most of it.
He had lunch at twelve as he finished the Herald, then that cellar stair rail. At one o’clock precisely, his cell phone bleeped. As expected, it was a text from Ruth.
Hi, hows ur day? x
He replied: v busy. cu tonite x
He noticed the cellar walls needed a fresh coat of whitewash. A job for tomorrow.
It was beginning to get dark as he walked Nathan back home later. As they turned the corner into West Cedar Street he pulled his coat collar tighter and shivered. He looked over in the direction of Boston Common. Ruth always enjoyed walking home, but on nights like this, he wished she had taken the car, or the bus.
‘Come on, sport,’ he said, ruffling Nathan’s hair.
Being off, it was Matt’s turn to prepare dinner. While Nathan sat on the couch watching Scooby-Doo, Matt made a start on the meal: fried chicken, green beans and mashed potato.
Just after five, his cell bleeped again. Leaving now x.
Ok x he replied.
The digital clock on the stove read 5:42 as the front door opened and Ruth arrived home.
‘Welcome home,’ Matt said as they embraced.
‘Glad to be home. Mm, that smells nice. Where’s Nathan?’ Ruth replied.
‘In there watching TV.’
Ruth leaned into the other room.
‘Hi, honey. Have a good day?’
‘Yes, Mommy,’ Nathan replied, his gaze not leaving the television screen.
‘He’s so interested,’ Ruth said as she joined Matt in the kitchen.
‘Come on honey,’ said Matt as he handed her a glass of red wine. ‘How can you compete with Scooby, Shaggy, and co?’
*****
The rest of the evening proceeded as normal. Matt told Ruth what he had done that day; Ruth did the same. Neither could find out exactly what Nathan had done at kindergarten, as he was only interested in Mr Rex and Mrs Brontosaurus. Then it was bath time for Nathan. Ruth read his bedtime story: a tale of three dinosaurs searching for a missing egg; the twentieth night in a row that he had wanted that story. When she came downstairs, Matt had just finished loading the dishwasher. He poured them both another glass of wine and they collapsed on the sofa.
‘He asleep?’ Matt asked.
‘Went straight off.’
Matt smiled and leaned back on the sofa.
‘What?’ she asked.
‘What what?’
‘You were going to say something.’
Matt thought a second.
‘Whatever it was, it’s gone. What’s the time, anyway?’
‘Seven fifty.’
‘That late, eh?’
‘That late.’
They both took another mouthful of red wine and leaned back on the sofa. Matt slowly closed his eyes. By eight thirty they had both fallen asleep. Woke up around ten thirty and went to bed.
As he brushed his teeth, Matt started to feel amorous. It has been a busy day for both of them, but it was only ten forty-five…
He checked on Nathan, and walked back into his and Ruth’s bedroom. Ruth was fast asleep. Matt got in beside her, leaned over, kissed her forehead, then lay down beside her.
He switched off the bedside lamps and was asleep in minutes.
Breakfast. Work. Dinner. Bed.
A normal day.
Their last normal day.