"Brian Plante - Something Meaningful" - читать интересную книгу автора (Plante Brian)

“I am not tired,” I said. “Get me some raisin bran and an English muffin, and
don’t make me wait all morning.”

“This is for the best, George. Please swallow these pills, and quickly.”

I put a couple of the pills in my mouth. Irene handed me a tumbler of water to
wash them down. At least, I thought it was water. I sputtered on the first sip and
nearly spit out the pills. The glass contained vodka, not water. Now I remembered. I
did just take a bunch of pills earlier. Maybe a lot of pills. And I remembered being
surprised by the vodka.

“Christ almighty, Irene, what are you trying to do, kill me?”

Irene looked startled. “It will help you sleep,” she said, putting the remaining
pills in my hand.

“Dammit, woman, stop talking nonsense. I’m going down to the park for my
walk. Get me my clothes. Is Bernadette coming over?”

Irene bit her knuckle. “Bernadette died twelve years ago, George. It’s just you
and me.” She turned away, but I thought I saw a tear roll down one cheek. “Would
you like to see Bernadette again?”

Bernadette dead? It couldn’t be…I just saw her the other day. I must have
heard Irene wrong.

“I would like to see Bernadette,” I said. “When is she coming over?”

“Please, George, take your medicine,” Irene said, pushing my hand toward my
mouth.

I looked down. In my hand was a bunch of blue pills. Same color as those
aliens on TV. Didn’t I just take some pills?

“What are these for?” I asked.

“George, please! Just take them.”

I swallowed a few of the pills, and sputtered on the vodka again. Irene cleaned
me up and gave me more.
 “Quickly,” Irene said, handing me a glass of water.

I put the pills in my mouth and took a sip from the glass. Why, it wasn’t water
at all…it was vodka!

“God dammit, woman, you’re trying to poison me!”

I tried to fend her off weakly as she poured more vodka into my mouth, but
my arms were like lead weights on the bed. I sputtered out a spray of the liquor, and
must have gotten some of it in Irene’s eyes, because they were red and flowing with