Dickie

This was Gil’s last evening of solitude. He was half way through “War and Peace”. He wouldn’t finish the book tonight, but he could at least have some “peace”.

Mary was on a three week trip and would fly home tonight. He had a few hours before he picked her up.

He settled himself into his comfy brown chair to read. Then he saw it. The brilliant green wings sprawled out on the kitchen floor. Dickie was dead. Mary would be furious at the loss of her precious bird.

Gil trembled at the thought of breaking the news. Mary would berate him for not taking proper care of Dickie. He paced the house sweating, shivering. What to do?

“I must bury him,” he thought out loud. He scrounged for something, anything. As he rummaged through the junk drawer, he saw tools, screws, nails, a jump rope and a plastic bag.

He grabbed the bag and stuffed the bird in. Then he found an empty box of Black Magic chocolates to put the bag in. Now a burial site.

“Look at the time,” he glanced at his watch. No time to bury Dickie. He stored the box in the refrigerator and sped to the airport to get Mary.

She didn’t take the news well. She screamed and wailed as they drove home. Gil couldn’t get a word in to explain.

When they reached home, Mary dispatched Gil to the pharmacy for medication to deal with her grief. As he drove off, she went to the refrigerator to get some juice - and saw the chocolates. Her mouth drooled at the thought of thick, rich chocolate. She opened the box to make her selection.

Gil returned to find Mary sprawled out on the kitchen floor. He looked for a large plastic bag.

(300 words)