Rarely, if ever, do we take into consideration the real reason for our more animated discussions. This little debacle seemed to be about windows. Not all of the windows, just the living room window. Was it too wide? Too tall? Were there enough drapes on it? Or the right kind? In Ronald's mind, trying to sort through all of those ridiculous details was not even logical. He was too angry. After a particularly nasty fight with his long time partner, Kelly, he had stomped into the den and slammed the door behind him. Breathing hard, he slammed his fist on the shiny mahogany surface of his desk. What was that all about!? He hung his head, then stood up and shook his shoulders. With both hands he brushed off the weight of the last hour. All he could think of was that it was the old fight. The fight that started over some bit of trivia and escalated into World War III. Doors were slammed, icy silence fell like icicles snapped from the eaves and only in the morning did the air seem cleared - at least temporarily.
Ron sat down at his desk, leaned forward on his elbows and thought. Then he started to chuckle silently. The chuckle bubbled up from his belly. That fight wasn’t about the drapes on the living room window at all.
~~~~~
In the morning, it had started. Neither of them had slept well, and then slept in. The power had gone out in the night, their radio alarm didn’t go off at the right time. There was only time to make coffee, but the coffee maker sprung a leak flooding the counter, dripping onto the floor and leaving the coffee grounds as dry as dust. That was no problem, they would pick up coffee on the way into work. “Where is my cellphone?” Kelly was frantically searching pockets, drawers and finally his briefcase. The phone was buried on the bottom beneath an old sandwich, some folders stuffed with forms and a package of tissues. “Do you have the car keys?” It was Ron’s turn to drive but there were no keys in sight. “I found them - let’s go.”
The stress and strain of that morning’s mess, left behind them in the kitchen, lay in wait for their return. Laughing about some of the events of the day, Ron and Kelly came home. They hung up their coats. Ronald put his brief case up on the counter. “What’s for supper, Kel? ….Kelly?” He could hear his partner in the living room closing the drapes. “These stupid drapes won’t close properly.” ………….That’s when it started! Just because they were both tired.
“Always wait for the trigger. The trigger is the final part
of the puzzle, the reason you want to shoot.”
~ Jay Maisel
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