THE (UNEXPECTED) RETURN OF WILMER SIMMS

                      THE ( UNEXPECTED ) RETURN OF WILMER SIMMS                                                                    \                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  THE WEATHER HAD BEEN UNUSUALLY HOT AND DRY FOR OCTOBER, SO  THE LOWERING CLOUDS WERE A WELCOME SIGHT FOR ELVIRA SIMMS.  WELL MAYBE IT'LL FINALLY RAIN, SHE SAID TO HERSELF AS SHE TRUDGED BACK FROM THE MAILBOX. SHE REALLY WOULD BE GLAD TO SEE IT RAIN, HER WELL  WAS NEARLY DRY, HER FALL MUMS DROOPED UNDER A THICK LAYER OF DUST,AND THE RAIN WOULD  SOFTEN UP THE GROUND SO SHE COULD GET HER DIGGING DONE, AND SHE CERTAINLY HAD TO DO SOME DIGGING. HER HUSBAND OF 47 YEARS CURRENTLY RESIDED IN THE FREEZER TAKING UP VALUABLE\SPACE.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    WILMER SIMMS HAD RESTED IN THE FREEZER FOR NEARLY 2 MONTHS, SINCE THAT DAY IN LATE AUGUST WHEN ELVRIA HAD FINALLY PUT AN END TO WILMERS COMPLAINTS ABOUT HER COOKING BY BRAINING  HIM WITH A SKILLET,AND AFTER FINISHING HER MEAL MOVED HIM TO HIS CURRENT QUARTERS ( WITH  SOME CONSIDERABLE EFFORT AS WILMER TIPPED THE SCALES AT A HEALTHY 260 POUNDS ) ANYWAY AUGUST TURNED TO SEPTEMBER,AND SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER,AND STILL THE GROUND WAS JUST TO HARD TO DIG  A SPOT FOR WILMER TO SPEND ETERNITY,AND SO HE LAY IN THE FREEZER LIKE A GIANT RUMP ROAST.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          THE STORM ARRIVED JUST AS DUSK TURNED TO DARK WITH A WELCOME DOWNPOUR OF MUCH NEEDED  RAIN,AND A NOT SO WELCOME,AND CERTAINLY NOT NEEDED GUST OF WIND. THE OLD HOUSE GROANED,AND SHUTTERS BANGED UNDER THE FEARSOME  FURY OF THE GALE. THE LIGHT FLICKERED AND THEN SUDDENLY BLACKNESS DESCENDED,A TREE HAD NO DOUBT FELL ON A POWER LINE, SO SHE SAT IN THE DARK WITH ONLY A FLASH OF LIGHTNING NOW AND THEN TO BRIEFLY CAST A WEAK GLOW IN THE STUFFY ROOM, GRADUALLY SHE DRIFTED OFF TO SLEEP. SHE  AWAKENED AROUND 2:AM,THE STORM OVER,BUT THE POWER STILL OFF, STIFFLY SHE STOOD AND WALKED TO THE DOOR,OPENED IT AND STEPPED ONTO THE PORCH. THE CLOUDS HAD THINNED AND A NEARLY FULL MOON PEEKED FROM THE BREAKS  TO LIGHT UP THE LANDSCAPE.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ELVIRA KNEW FROM YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT THE OLD FREEZER DIDN'T RETAIN COLD VERY WELL ( HER HIGH ELECTRIC BILLS WERE EVIDENCE OF THAT )  SO SHE STEPPED OFF THE PORCH AND INTO THE YARD TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH THE RAIN HAD SOFTENED THE GROUND,IT NOW BEING NECESSARY TO PLANT WILMER BEFORE  HE BECAME A VERY SMELLY PROBLEM. WALKING A FEW PACES CONVINCED HER THAT SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO AT LEAST SCRATCH OUT A SHALLOW RESTING PLACE FOR WILMER.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  SHE LINGERED AWHILE IN THE MOONLIGHT LETTING THE COOL BREEZE WASH OVER HER, THEN TURNED AND STARTED HER RETURN TO THE HOUSE. ARRIVING ON THE PORCH SHE PAUSED AGAIN THINKING OF THE DAUNTING TASK THAT AWAITED HER AT DAYBREAK. AFTER CONSIDERING, SHE DECIDED TO REMOVE WILMER FROM COLD STORAGE NOW AND LET HIM THAW A LITTLE, TO FACILITATE SHAPING HIM INTO AS SMALL A PACKAGE AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO MINIMIZE HER LABORS ( FOLD HIM A LITTLE SO SHE COULD DIG A SMALLER HOLE )  FINALLY WITH A SIGH SHE OPENED THE DOOR AND STEPPED INSIDE.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        HER EYES SLOWLY ADJUSTED TO THE GLOOM,AND PERHAPS IN ANTICIPATION OF HER NEXT CHORE SHE TURNED TOWARD THE FREEZER, WITH A START SHE SAW THAT THE LID WAS UP AND WILMER WAS CLIMBING OUT,FROST DROPPING FROM HIS FORM IN GREAT WATERY SPLASHES.  THE SHOCK WAS TO GREAT FOR ELVIRAS TIRED OLD HEART AND WITH A BRIEF MOMENT OF PAIN SHE SLUMPED TO THE FLOOR AND WITH HER LAST FLEETING GAZE  AS HER LIFE EBBED SHE SAW WILMER SHAMBLING TOWARDS THE BATHROOM!