Evil of the Evening Shade

Ah! My comfortable bed! My nice, comfortable bed! Oh, how I looked forward to this time of day all day and now, a beautiful, relaxing good night’s sleep is just what I need.

It had been a hectic day that pulled me in more directions than my body wanted to stretch. Between my part-time position as a home-health care aide, laundry, washing the floors, cleaning, and polishing the granite countertops, dusting the furniture, and all the other tedious chores that needed doing, the day is done! It’s almost eleven at night and now it’s time to sleep! Finally!

Not wanting to awaken my husband who'd gone to bed earlier, as gently as I found possible, I nestled in bed.

I can feel my eyes beginning to slowly close while my limbs reach out for that final nighttime stretch, as my mouth forms a huge O in a silent, sighing yawn.

I try to turn off the thoughts of tomorrow’s chores that wait for me to start a new day. The bathrooms need to be scrubbed, the meat for tomorrow’s dinner needs defrosting, the pie I planned for dessert needs baking – just last-minute items that will keep me busy a good portion of the day - and all after I get home from work.

My head sinks into my pillow. Ah! Sleep! I’m drifting, Hmm! One more minute … WHAT? WHAT THE HECK?

What was that noise? It sounded like a freight train racing right outside my bedroom window! That’s impossible. There’s a canal out there, not a set of tracks for trains to rumble by on.

Ever so gently so I won’t awaken my husband, I ease out of bed. I look but find that there’s nothing in the canal that made that noise. All is quiet at the front of the house, as well. I walk through the house. Except for my bedroom, the house is empty.

So, what made that noise?

Was it possible that a plane flew overhead but low enough to make the windows rattle? It would have been flying low enough to make the house shake; but still, there would be a lingering engine roar. I heard nothing.

At last, assured the house was secure, I shrugged and went back to bed.

I wearily followed the same routine: stretch, nestle, yawn.

My dog curled up at the bend of my knees. M-m-m! Within minutes, I’m once again drifting off to dreamland. I felt as though I’m as light as a feather floating on a gentle Florida breeze.

What the heck? There it is again!

I looked at my husband. How on earth can he sleep through that horrible ear-piercing, window-rattling, room-vibrating noise?

This time after getting up, I put on my shoes and robe and made my way in the darkness to the door. Outside, I walk around the house, shining my flashlight in various directions but concentrating on the bushes. Nothing!

I saw nothing, no one, not even a rabbit. There was nothing to be seen. There were no cars, trucks, people. As I said, nothing.

At this time of night in my area of Florida, that isn’t unusual. People around here seem to have the tendency to close their doors, turn off their lights, and go to bed around ten in the evening. When I’d gotten up, I glanced at the clock. The time was after eleven-thirty. I was stymied – and totally exhausted. I headed back inside and yearned for my bed. The time was now approaching midnight.

My routine broken, my eyes open, my mind began racing. What could have made that noise? It seemed louder than the first time and yet, upon investigation, I saw not one thing that could have produced that noise. I wondered if perhaps the roof was beginning to cave in. However, the house was still fairly new so that should not have been the cause of such a noise.

I guess when you get that much over-tired, you begin to think in exceedingly strange ways. I know I do.

Before slipping back into bed, I walked throughout the house one more time. Again, as usual, I saw nothing odd. I checked the walls just in case a photo or framed painting was sliding. Nope! Again nothing.

Trying to regain some of my urge to sleep, I sat at my desk and began to prepare the menu for the dinner I’d be cooking for my family that would arrive in about twelve hours. The weather prediction was for a beautiful, warm Saturday with temperatures in the mid-eighties. We were scheduled to have a light lunch, then a cookout for supper, followed by a homemade apple pie. Sunday, before our company left, our breakfast would consist of bacon, eggs, and pancakes.

Our grown children told us not to fuss but what parent won’t fuss when their adult children and their families come to visit? I planned on fussing.

I yawned again and decided to try once more for the sleep that so far eluded me.

Lying ever-so still in bed, I listened for anything strange – stray animals in the yard, maybe an alligator climbed the seawall, maybe . . . maybe what? What else could be responsible for that loud noise? I was running out of ideas. Maybe …

Oh, good grief! I was so drowsy! Fatigue was overcoming me rapidly. I yawned again, this time more vigorously.

My arms and legs, once again stretched to release my built-up tension.

Trying to block out the thoughts of whatever made that noise, I started concentrating on the events of the day to come. Besides the last-minute cooking and cleaning, I’d planned to pick up the new fax machine I had to order. I wanted to try and mend the hole my husband put in his jeans when he cleaned out the garage. I also wanted to bathe the dog.

Oh, I was so tired. Too many things to think about. Ah, peaceful sleep. I could feel it coming. I was aware of the beginning of a dream: my sister bought a new pair of running shoes. I wondered why she needed a pair of running shoes since she never had time to fit running into her agenda. Actually, I think that was deliberate. She hated running. Before I could ask her why, I am, again, rudely awakened.

That noise again! This is getting out of control but this time, it was a bit different. This time, as soon as I heard that noise, I felt a large jolt as if some unknown presence came out of the darkness, grabbed my shoulders, and began violently shaking me.

Oh God! I silently prayed. What could have made that sound and is that what has grabbed me? Will I live to see tomorrow?

I tried sitting up in bed and found to my relief, no restraints holding me back. Straining my eyes in the dark room, I saw nothing. It was then I turned to my husband. I wanted to awaken him and ask for his help, but I found him lying on his side, his head resting on his raised hand whose elbow was buried on his side of the bed. He was intently staring at me.

Just as I was about to begin asking if he’d heard that horrible noise, he quickly plops his wearily head back on his pillow and says, “Hon! Will you PLEASE roll over and stop that blasted snoring? You keep waking me up!”