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On Friday evening, Lilah, who had been quieter than usual, began to chatter about the soap operas she’d been watching. Who was having an affair with whom? Who was scheming to break up whose marriage on “Days of Our Lives” or “As the World Turns?” Mary had nothing but disdain for soap operas. Soon, she tuned out all the details and observed her mate with equal parts astonishment and alarm. What was happening to her?
After Lilah talked herself out, she was again quieter than usual, and the weekend passed quietly with Lilah spending a lot of time in front of the television and Mary retreating to the spare bedroom that functioned as an office. Sunday evening, as they shared an evening nightcap, Mary decided to take a more assertive approach.
“You’ve really got to return to work, Lilah. I hate to see you sitting home all day watching soaps. It’s just not right!”
Lilah turned her head slightly and stared into space. Several minutes passed with no response.
“Well?” Mary said.
“Hah-wah-yeh!” Lilah said exaggeratedly, in a voice that wafted the scent of magnolias. “I want to go to Hah-wah-yeh.”
“Hawaii! Lilah, we’ve already had our vacation this year in North Carolina.”
“Not a vacation.” Lilah waved one arm expansively. “I want to LIVE in Hah-wah-yeh!”
“Live in Hawaii? Lilah, that’s just silly!” Mary gulped the rest of her sherry. “Lilah, you need to think really hard about pulling yourself together in the next few days.” She paused. “Please, Lilah, you know I’m right. Why don’t you come to bed now? Get a good night’s rest.”
When the alarm sounded the next morning, Mary didn’t even try to coax Lilah out of bed. She felt helpless and dreaded the day.
Mary hoped to be able to report to Mr. Chesterton’s secretary and avoid the director himself. But as soon as she turned around, he materialized in the doorway. Mr. Chesterton was a man in his middle forties with an aquiline nose and a direct gaze that made him appear slightly ferocious when he was serious. The extra 15-20 pounds he carried on his medium frame added to his air of intimidation. When in a good humor, he was witty and charming. But today he stood unsmiling in the doorway, making it impossible for her to pass.
“Good morning, Mary!” he boomed.
“Good morning,” she replied, hating the edge of shrillness she heard in her voice.
She tried to appear preoccupied and businesslike.
“Is Lilah still sick?” he asked, with a slight emphasis on the “still.”
“Yes, yes, I’m afraid so.”
“Mary, what is wrong with Lilah exactly?”
“Well, she’s having, uh, headaches …and some dizziness, I believe. Yes, she’s complained of being dizzy.”
“Has she been to a doctor?”
“Well, er … I think she has an appointment.”
“Good. Good.”
“Mary, I know it’s logical for you to report in for Lilah, but it’s not really your problem, now is it? This is what?” he continued. “The seventh day that Lilah’s been out, and she hasn’t called me at all. I want to hear from Lilah personally, if she is able to call me. I need to talk to her about staffing. I expect Lilah to call me if she’s going to be out tomorrow.”
“Yes, of course. I’ll tell her.” Mary felt reprimanded.
“Tell you what, Mary. I think I’ll call Lilah today myself. Do you know when might be a good time?”
“Well — maybe late morning, between 11 and 12.”
She went directly to a telephone and called Lilah to warn her, wondering as she did so, if that’s what Mr. Chesterton expected her to do. She’d always gotten along well with him, felt there was a mutual professional respect, but she resented him for making her squirm, no matter if her intellect told her his expectations were fair and reasonably stated.
Despite Mary’s trepidations, his talk with Lilah apparently went well enough, and she agreed to his request for a doctor’s statement if she did not return to work the following week.
“Then you’ll go see Dr. Henderson?” Mary asked that evening.
“Ah guess.”
“I’ll make the appointment tomorrow then.”
Dr. Henderson had been their physician for only three years, but Mary trusted her. She specialized in internal medicine and also functioned as their general practitioner.
Mary explained about Lilah’s work absence and indicated that she had been under some stress.
“Have there been any other unusual behaviors, Mary?”
About Barbara Kussow
