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The Vaccine, by Jim Bartlett

17/7/2020

 
Still not quite used to the swing shift, after a long stent of graveyards, he steals a quick glance at the clock to check on the time, then buttons up his still untucked shirt and settles at the PC to have a peek at the news. With the afternoon sun’s rays streaming through a slit in the curtains, or, really, more so carried along by the joyful noise coming from the backyard, he lets his hopes rise that maybe, just maybe, today there will be a turn in the foul tide that continues to plague the headlines.

But when the page fills, he feels his breath taken, his shoulders slump. Domestic violence on the rise. Another shooting, this time at a crowded church. A child missing has been found dead, the parent the likely culprit. Warships drift menacingly in the South China Sea. Around the country, new cases of the virus are hitting record highs, forcing states to return to their previous restrictions. Fights over the need to be wearing masks, with cashiers and clerks feeling the brunt of the frustrations, have become commonplace. And in many areas, despite the warnings, people gather, setting the stage for a price that will be paid down the road.

With a heavy sigh, he looks to the side, letting the sun warm his face, the sounds from the backyard warm his heart, before turning back.

In another city, in another state, a police officer has taken the life of a young unarmed black male, sparking more demonstrations and adding fuel to the fire of those demanding defunding of policing agencies. Rubbing tired eyes, he leans back. While most answer the call to protect and serve, there are those who have let hate or bias blind them, leaving heartbreakingly spilt blood to stain each and every officer’s uniform. Including those who have died living up to that sacred oath. With another sigh, he stands and shuts down the computer.

His wife, hair still wet from her shower, steps in, setting a hand on his shoulder. “Not exactly Emerald City out there, eh?”

Shaking his head, he turns and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

“Have you looked out back?” she asks.

“Not yet. But I’ve been hearing it.” He slides around the counter and pulls the curtains aside. He can’t help but smile as he watches Brandy, their golden retriever, chase Mandy and Rebecca, their two girls, round and round and round the oak tree, the dog’s bark and the girls’ giggles providing the googled definition of happy.

Of the way things should be.

If only there was a way to bottle up those giggles, that happy bark. That’s the vaccine the world really needs.

With another glance at the clock he tucks in his shirt, slips on his Kevlar vest, and pins on his badge. Giving his wife a kiss, much longer this time, he slips out the door for a hug from the girls – and dog – before heading off to work. ​
Pamela Kennedy
17/7/2020 08:50:12 am

If only we could bottle up those giggles...a very nice story.

Jim link
17/7/2020 03:24:35 pm

Thanks so much Pam. If only, indeed.
Jim

Sue Clayton
17/7/2020 09:06:06 am

I don't know how those on the front line around the world, police or health workers, find the courage to face each day after reading or hearing the news. So well written and descriptive of the despair some of them must feel, Jim. And what a wonderful description of a vaccine.

Jim link
17/7/2020 03:26:38 pm

Thanks, Sue. I really do appreciate your comments. And, the vaccine - well, if only...
Jim

Marjan sierhuis
17/7/2020 01:10:45 pm

From all of us who have been front line workers, past and present, thank you for this insightful glimpse into our lives.

Laughter and giggles are therapeutic whether a child or adult.

Nicely done.


Jim link
17/7/2020 03:28:11 pm

Thanks so much Marjan. And thanks for your time - present or past - holding down the front line. Nothing like a giggle or laugh to make one's day...
Jim

Mary Wallace
17/7/2020 08:14:16 pm

Oh Jim, it is such a crazy year. Turn off the news and run around the tree with the girls. Absorb all the giggles you can, it may be the only thing that gets us through. Loved your beautiful writing.

Jim link
17/7/2020 09:20:25 pm

Thanks so much, Mary - crazy year, indeed. Someday we will say (with glee) hindsight is 2020 - meaning it's finally in the rear view mirror. For now, not wanting to let any time slip away - even the bad time - we hang on and listen for the giggles

michael McCarthy link
17/7/2020 04:32:10 pm

finely written story echoing the endless sadness we are bombarded with. so much detail in a short story and loved the ending. if we could just give those who need it most a shot of happiness the world would be a better place.

Jim link
17/7/2020 04:40:35 pm

Thanks so much, Michael. Appreciate your wonderful comments. Yeah, if only - seems to be the theme here, and in real life, eh?
Thanks
Jim

Ed N. White
17/7/2020 04:56:06 pm

A very nice, very timely story, Jim. Unfortunately, the beat goes on. As Yogi Berra said, "It's deja vu all over again."

Jim link
17/7/2020 05:25:00 pm

Thanks, Ed! Nothing like a good Yogi quote to make the day.
Take care
Jim

Mike B.
17/7/2020 05:35:44 pm

Wow!! Your story is So Real to life in today’s world, and very believable, with all the Great descriptive details. What an Awesome reminder that laughter is most always the Best medicine.
Thank you Jim,well done!!!

Jim link
17/7/2020 05:47:23 pm

Wow - thanks so much for the nice comments, Mike! Laughter is indeed the best medicine, and maybe the only one that truly works.
Take care
Jim

Georgeanne Borjon
17/7/2020 05:57:04 pm

Very well written and very thought provoking. If only....

Jim link
17/7/2020 06:13:03 pm

Thanks much, Georgeanne! So glad you enjoyed and thanks for the comments. If only, indeed...
Jim

Doug
17/7/2020 07:14:50 pm

Anothet excellent job of writing Jim. Hopefully with the situation we are currently going through will not be a total loss. People will realize what is truly important. Great job.

Jim link
17/7/2020 07:46:34 pm

Good point - lessons learned. Thanks for the read and nice comments, Doug!
Jim

Phyllis Souza
17/7/2020 09:28:27 pm

Jim, This is beautifully written, I hope in the end, the world will recover far better than it is.

Jim link
17/7/2020 09:47:38 pm

Thanks ever so much for the kind comments, Phyllis. We're getting a pretty ugly look at ourselves in the mirror right now, let's hope we can, as you hope, recover with the world, and its people, in a better place.
Thanks
Jim

Swapan k Banerjee
18/7/2020 11:05:50 am

Jim, your story proves beyond doubt that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Your piece defies any genre like drabble or flashfic or fanfic and stands its ground like the oak at your backyard. The narrator's act of drawing the curtain aside (tipped off by his adorable wife) and letting in the reader on the sunshiny and frolic-filled view outside, is the only vaccine that could help us to get unstuck anytime anywhere ...

Jim link
18/7/2020 03:28:36 pm

Swapan, your comments are deeply appreciated. I hope as time goes along we can as a people slowly pull that curtain aside and see what life truly has to offer. That is the vaccine that I hope we all can find. Thanks again.
Jim

Sarah Blum link
22/7/2020 06:04:16 pm

Well done as always. You captured our world very well and indeed the vaccine we need are the joyful giggles of our children, grandchildren and ourselves.

JIm link
23/7/2020 02:23:40 am

Thanks so much, Sarah. I appreciate your kind words. I hope the rest of the world can find a few kind words to share, then, and only then, will the "vaccine" be effective.
Thanks
Jim


Comments are closed.

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