The Fervent Reader

Jackie had plenty of time to read after her breakup with Tony. She still loved him very much, but was ready to move on with her life. She bought a very small, quaint condo and took a different position at her job. No housewarmings or special dinners in her new place. Jackie and Bucket, her cat, were content to stay home alone.

After settling into her space, she looked around and out loud said to herself, "My god! Look at all the books!" In such a small space, Jackie's five hundred or so books on the shelves and the floor seemed to crowd the whole condo. One by one, she stacked, organized, and searched the titles for the ones she hadn't read. Too many books that she hadn't read. This was definitely a sign of her compulsive book shopping during her engagement with Tony. Deep down, she knew something was wrong, but pushed that feeling aside. As soon as that engagement ring went on her finger, the tension began mounting.

The list of all the books she hadn't read was long, but she was determined to read something for comfort. Maybe something she had already read, something suspenseful. Grabbing Grisham, Jackie headed for the couch. It was five o'clock in the evening and was already getting dark. Bucket jumped on the couch with her and crawled on top of her legs. Now everyone was cozy.

Grisham after Grisham, three books in one long night. It was easy. Jackie was able to skim a few scenes she knew well, but still enjoyed rereading them. At three o'clock in the morning, she turned off the light and fell asleep right there on the couch. The next morning was hard.

"David, I'm not feeling well this morning. I'm going to take the day."

David, her boss, understood and told Jackie to rest and come back when she was ready.

During the last months of the breakup, the cake had been ordered, the invitations had been sent, and the venue was set for decorations. All the planning and rushing and...the wedding dress, which now hangs beautifully behind a closet door, was infuriating and a cause of the many panic attacks that followed that ridiculous and unnecessary argument. She knew it was about Tony not really wanting to give up his freedom, but she suspected it was also the case of another woman.

After she hung up with David, her energy rose; Jackie literally rolled off the couch onto the floor. Bucket jumped on her chest, licking her face, and was screaming to be fed. Laughing hysterically, Jackie told Bucket she was starving, too.

"Well, we barely ate a thing yesterday, Bucket! It's time to pamper ourselves with a big ol' breakfast. Let's do it."

A quick shower and some comfy clothes, Jackie scanned her book collection again. This time, she sat down with two new books she hadn't read. Two John Irving novels that had to be at least a year old. The look of a fresh book spine was invigorating, and she began her vigil. By two o'clock in the afternoon, she was feeling a bit useless. Thoughts of Tony crept up, and her emotions started to get the best of her. Jackie jumped up, slipped on a pair of jeans, and put on an oversized sweater. Even though the condo was warm enough, it was freezing outside. She thought about going for a walk to get her mind going in a different direction. It was nearing Christmas. The wedding day had passed, and if all went well, this would have been her and Tony's first Christmas together as a married couple.

She thought about the dinner parties they would have hosted together, Christmas shopping for the families, and eating out in the spirit of the holidays. "Ugh, this is so depressing!" Heading back towards the section of her bookcase to find another book she hadn't read, her fingers swept across titles by Michael Crichton, he was always a good read. Patricia Cromwell...not feeling like a detective today. Danielle Steel, James Patterson, Margaret Atwood, what was she thinking when she bought all these books? Jackie stopped at one she had always been waiting to find time to read, Mary Monroe's "Mama Ruby".

"Bucket, I think we found our afternoon book reading session."

Heading to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, Jackie opened the book, and a small card fell to the floor. It was a Christmas tag, 'Enjoy the read, Love Tony'. She took a deep breath, made her coffee, and sat down on the couch to begin her read. "This should keep me busy until five, and then I'll treat us both to a lavish dinner". Bucket looked at her, yawned, and jumped back on the couch to take his nap. Halfway through this good read, the clock struck four, Jackie bookmarked her page, and called David.

"I'm feeling a lot better, David. I'm going to come in for a few hours, check up on some projects." David did not object. She threw on her warm boots and a Parka, grabbed her bag and her good book, kissed Bucket on the head, and was out the door. Instead of driving, she decided to take the tram, which would give her some time to read while in transit. Jackie could not resist reading this book on the way, even walking down the street, reading and looking up only now and again. A passerby, whom she bumped into, said, "That must be a really good book. What's the name of it?"

An hour later, David got a phone call at the office. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He told his secretary to let the office know. The water cooler conversation was intense.

"Do you think it was suicide?"

"Well, fifteen years with one person, and right before your wedding, you get dumped."

"I know she was hurt, but seriously..."

"Did she have any friends, I mean, except for us?"

"Doesn't she have a cat? Poor thing!"

"It's bold, but no one walks out in front of a bus!"