Assignment #1

Roberto's Reason

Karen was surprised to see her husband's car in the garage when she arrived home. She entered through the door connecting the garage with the kitchen, "Hey Robert... you home hunny?"

A low voice rumbled loud enough to be heard above gunshots, "Yeah, I'm in here watching a movie."

"I didn't expect you home this early," Karen walked sluggishly into the small living room where Robert was comfortable on his favorite chair watching an old cop movie.

"Well, the Captain told me to leave...something about too many hours for the week."

"Where's Jess?"

"In her room I think," he says while eyeing his wife in her nurse's scrubs.

Karen slides onto Robert's lap wrapping her arms around him, "What we having for dinner?"

"Well it is Friday no reason to break tradition."

"So I'm guessing..."

"Will you two get a room," Jess walks into the living room, her tone slightly disgusted by her parent's display of affection on the living room chair.

"Jess could you call for a pizza, your dad doesn't want to break tradition."

"Yeah, no problem," going to the kitchen and without looking up the number dials, "I would like half mushroom and half sausage pizza...you should have the address already."

"Yes we do...It will be about twenty minutes."

"Thanks," Jess hangs up the phone, passes her parents relaxing on the living room chair and vanishes back into her room.

"I wonder what she does in there all the time?"



"Jess, the pizza is here."

She strolled into the kitchen wearing flannel pajama bottoms and her favorite faded t-shirt, a black elastic hair tie holding her hair back, in a relaxed ponytail. Her mother sat at the table alone with three glasses and three plates, her head supported by her hands. Jess takes her seat in front of the glass filled with water. Her dad with a tired grin strides into the room carrying dinner in a large white box. He opens the box, tears off the cover then sets it on the table. They each take a slice.

"Hunny...was it slow today, and that's why you got told to go home?"

"No not really, crime never takes a break...I had too many hours for the week."

"Yeah, the hospital was a mess today as usual." Her eyes heavy and her legs sore, even while sitting at the table, but she always told hospital stories over dinner. "We lost an elderly patient today. You remember the one I told you about last week that came in last week with congested heart failure...I think he was ninety-five years old." She stops for a minute, to finish a piece of crust in her hand, "And then after presuming him dead I had to rush down the hall to another room where a patient flipped out and tore out all their IV's. They were flailing. Blood was everywhere and we have to sedate them. All and all, not to bad today but I've got to work tomorrow in the ER."

"That's ok we're going to the museum tomorrow for the new exhibit." He said with a wink to his little girl.

"Yes we are daddy," she places a half eaten piece of pizza down on her plate and smiles back, "I think I'm done eating for tonight."

"Jess, are you turning bulimic on us? That's only your second piece." Her mom says cautiously as Jess starts getting out of her seat.

"No mom... I think you mean anorexic...bulimics binge eat then throw-up."

"Which ever it is you should stop and eat more."

"Yes mom" she turns and leaves, happy she will miss to her dad's stories about drug dealers and burglars. She had enough gruesome stories trying to finish her pizza, the sauce started to taste like blood. Before, entering her room she yells, "Dad, make sure you wake me up tomorrow I'm not setting my alarm."

"Ok...Night sweetheart."



They woke up early, and yet Karen already left for the hospital. As usual, they went to Gene's Dinner for breakfast. They did not order their food; it came to them in ten minutes. After breakfast, they got into the car and drove the twenty minutes to the museum. In the museum, Robert explained all of the different aspects of the new exhibits. He would stare with amazement at each stroke of a brush in the paintings. Jess's eyes glazed in awe of her dad's knowledge every month that she felt she only knew about him.

It was a great exhibit and an even greater day for the both of them. In a leisurely manor they drove back home.

"Sweetheart...Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine dad."

"Ok... you seem to look worried about something."

"Well...I had a dream last night and it scared me a bit...but it was just a dream."

"Yeah, nothing to worry about sweetheart your dad is here to protect ya."

"I know you are."

At home they smelled dinner cooking. They repeated Friday night's dinner but with pork chops instead of pizza. Jess ate all her food to make her mom happy and listened to all their horrible stories. After dinner, Jess went back into her room.

She needed to rid her mind of the dream and decide it would be best to write a poem:

Sadness strikes her alone when your mind only has loneliness.
Your body cringes and shakes.
Yearnings for warmth that fabric can't cure.
Visions start from the dark parts of the brain.
A silent burglar in black is your only savior.
His reverence is loaded in a stolen gun.
The guns hammer speaks slowly coxing back.
The edges of her mouth fight her frown into a semi-smile,
sadistically happy with insane exuberance.
He isn't concerned if she hasn't heard him or what his finger will do.
Her eyes are wide open.
The trigger is down.
She doesn't move or flinch and her heart stays on beat.
She doesn't feel pain when the bullet enter her skull.
A happy bliss left in a lifeless body.
Her eyes gently open, a few tears release wondering death from life.
Still cold, her sadness surrendered to secluded depression,
nothing really changed.

Late that night, Jess used a knife but not on her wrists. One large gash to her stomach, and then with her last bit of strength, in one fluid motion, she removes the knife from her stomach and heaves it into her brain. Jess knew her attempt was successful unlike all those others who had failed, right before the sharp blade ended her life.

The cop that found her was off duty but in his uniform. His soul died at first sight as he ran into Jess's room to hold his lifeless daughter.

"KAREN."

"My daughter...." Hysterically his wife called into his office.

When the rest of the police arrived, no one informed Robert the blood on his uniform was his daughters. He changed the uniform and cried.



He got a new uniform when he went back to work three weeks later. He never wore the old uniform ever again. He was a changed man. The first arrest back was a heroin addict about to shoot-up in a dark garbage ally. Without his partners knowledge, Robert took the needle from the junky. He plunged the needle into his own veins and told his partner to take him home. No one ever asked him question.

Delusional but painless he slept.

He woke up, and his wife was already gone to the hospital. He knew he couldn't face her when she got home. He wrote a note:

I'm leaving because I failed. I love you and will always love you. You were always stronger than me. I love you.

Before reading the note, she knew what it was and glad his body wasn't beside it. She was scared of everything and didn't know what to do but did know her husband did not have the strength to kill himself. She did not eat dinner that night. She cried alone and wondered what happened and why it happen but came to no conclusions.