Discovering Meaning by Cat

Discovering Meaning

She was alone. She had been alone for years now, seven to be exact. Ever since what she had come to think of as The Day of Betrayal or The Day of Loss. Everyone who had meant anything to her had been taken in September 11. Nobody really remembered she existed, except the little children who looked in at her house from the other side of the big iron gate. She liked it that way, alone. Nobody could hate her and she didn’t have to hate anybody except the man who delivered her groceries.

She stood, leaving the warmth of her armchair by the fire to get something to eat. The house was dark and empty as usual but it didn’t bother her. It was comforting somehow. It was familiar, no change, nothing to confuse her or complicate her life further. Not while she was still struggling to accept her life in a world with no one she loved, no one to love.

She was nearly at the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She was confused, the doorbell only rang on Monday mornings, today wasn’t Monday and it wasn’t morning. It was nearly night. She walked to the door and opened it slowly; it creaked, protesting against the unfamiliar movement. A child and man stood on her doorstep, both cold and wet. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t decide what to say so waited for them to talk. The man asked if they could come in. She looked at them suspiciously.
“Why?” she asked. The man explained that he and his daughter had gotten a flat tire and couldn’t get to the hotel they were staying at until the storm passed. She glanced up at the sky in surprise, she hadn’t noticed that it was storming, not that it mattered. She nodded shortly and moved to let them through. The child was a young girl, about ten, who looked much like she had when she was that age. The child was Crystal and the man was John. She told them her name and led them to rooms they could use. They came back downstairs with her and they all enjoyed an evening filled with stories and games.

The next morning she awoke to find breakfast made. She sat down awkwardly aware of their eyes on her. The child came over and sat beside her and began asking questions about her family. She shrugged them off. John suddenly cleared his throat and announced that as the storm had passed they had best be off and thanked her for her hospitality. She led them to the door, a lump forming in her throat. Tears sprang to her eyes and she wiped them away, furiously. She watched as they left, she turned back into the house, now the darkness and emptiness seemed sad and cold. She didn’t like it anymore but she had no choice. She went inside but couldn’t read. She struggled on, determined not to feel the pain of love again.

Hours later she could bare it no more, she went outside and looked for them. A lot of people stared, wondering why she was outside. She didn’t hate them anymore she found. Many hours later she was tired and cold, she couldn’t walk any further. Suddenly they came around a corner and ran into her. Seeing the state she was in they led her back to their hotel. They swapped more stories that night, more personal stories. Before she went to bed that night the man said softly
“Is it clear enough that you can’t live your whole life all alone?”