автор: mitkoeapostolov

Richard never thought he would crave an omelet for lunch. The divorce with Jane sure had messed up his food habits. Thank god his new wife Vicky and his step son Tim had gone down to the city for the weekend and his daughter Mary was at a friend’s birthday party. Otherwise Richard would have to explain why he, who had spoiled so many dinners by refusing to eat dishes with eggs, now couldn’t wait to make an omelet.
He took out the ingredients, chopped the veggies and tossed them into the pan with some olive oil. Soon the smell of fried food filled the kitchen. Richard reached for the bacon but his hand trembled and dropped the bowl on the counter. He shook his head, picked up the bacon slices and put them into the pan. The smell of the fried bacon filled Richard’s mouth with saliva, but his stomach contracted as if to vomit. For a second time, Richard tried to shake off the unpleasant feeling.
Instead, he realized what bothered him. A faint smell of Jane’s perfume had perpetrated into the appetizing aroma of the fried veggies and bacon. “That’s impossible. She’s locked up in the madhouse”, he thought to himself but his eye twitched.
The phone rang and Richard jumped. “Jesus fucking Christ, I swear to god”, he thought. On his way to picking up the phone he considered how much he hated teaching because sometimes he had to spend the afternoon alone at home.
- Hi Dick, sorry to bother you bud, he heard the voice of his friend Chuck who worked in the fire brigade.
- What’s the matter man?
- It’s probably nothing. Just today we got a call for a gas incident that had blown up the heating room in a basement.
- OK?
- The basement was in the mental institution where Jane is locked up.
Richard dropped the receiver on the counter and broke it.
- Always had a penchant for drama, your friend Chuckie- he heard a female voice behind him. He knew who it was.
- What do you want?
- Is this a proper way to speak to the love of your life?
- Jane, I thought we had settled that you need some time to calm down and get on with your life.
- Oh no dear, we haven’t settled anything. You set me up in jail so fat nurse Annie can drug me silly. Come on. You really thought it would grow on me and one day I would love it?
- Jane, I…
- Sh-sh-sh. Too much talking. Aren’t you making something?
Richard remembered the omelet and turned around. The pan had caught fire. He grabbed it off the cooker, placed it on the counter and threw a towel over it. The fire was extinguished, but the room was full of smoke.
Richard turned around to where Jane had been standing a moment ago, but she was not there.
- Jane, where are you, Jane, he shouted but there was no answer.- Come on Jane, we are grown-ups, there is no need for drama.
- Oh there is honey, trust me, he heard a voice near the front door. This is just the beginning of a play that you drafted yourself. I really like how you have re-decorated my father’s house by the way.
- Come on Jane, what do you want?
- I don’t know. Is it Vicky or Tim or Mary? In any case, one of them is already dead. Only you can save the other two. Call me, you have my number.
The front door creaked and then closed.
- Jane, what kind of game is this? What the fuck Jane?
No answer. The bowl of scrambled eggs lay on the counter unused. Next to it sat the blacked pan with its charred contents.