Stanley was sneaking peeks at her face. If
she’s a replica, she’s the most authentic looking replica I’ve ever seen, he thought to himself.
“Honey, do you remember being born?” Stanley asked in a
nonchalant tone.
“What?” Gina shifted her eyes from the TV to Stanley.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“Do you remember being born? I’m just curious.”
“No, I don’t. I doubt anyone remembers that.”
“Do you remember your childhood at all?”
Gina took a sip of water from her glass and thought for
a few moments. “I remember going to some lake with my mom and her boyfriend. I
was nine or ten. I had a lot of fun there. I swam, lay on the sand, drank a lot
of soda. That guy took us to that lake every two or three weeks the whole
summer.” She cracked a smile. “I don’t know why I even remember this.” She gave
Stanley an inquiring look. “What do you remember from your childhood?”
“Not a lot. I remember fighting some guy in the
schoolyard when I was in the sixth grade.”
“What did you fight over?”
“I forgot. Maybe he called me a name. I got beaten up
pretty bad, but I managed to throw a few good punches, too.” Stanley began to
tap his fingers lightly on the table. “When was the last time you had flu? Do
you remember that?”
“Flu? Why are you asking?”
“No reason. Just popped in my mind.”
He moved his tongue inside his mouth. The chicken was
delicious. And the rice was delicious, too. There was no way this marvelous
food was imaginary.
“I think when you’re married to a doctor, you get sick
less often than other people,” Gina said.
Stanley brought his left hand before his eyes. High
definition dream , he thought as he examined the friction ridges, lines, and
wrinkles on his fingers and palm. This hand must be real. It was ridiculous to
even consider doubting that.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because of all the good habits you pick up and the bad
ones you quit.”
Later that night, when they were in bed in their
pajamas, preparing to go to sleep, Stanley cocked his head as if he’d recalled something
important and asked, “Honey, where did you park when you came to see me at work
a month ago?”
“In the parking lot.”
“Was it the parking structure or the parking lot?”
“I didn’t know there was a parking structure there. Is
it close to your building?”
Staring affectionately at his wife, Stanley put his arm
around her shoulders, kissed her, and said, “Never mind.” He kissed her again.
“I love you.”
10.
He woke up around two in the
morning. The image of Juicy Couture’s smashed window immediately emerged in his
mind. Then Stanley quietly slipped from under the blanket and proceeded to do
another preposterous thing.
His palms sweaty, he pressed his ear against Gina’s
chest and, holding his breath, listened for the heartbeat. He hated himself for
doing this. He would burn with shame if someone saw him right now. Somehow
Stanley was sure that it would be easy to guess what was going on here: a
college-educated man is checking if his wife is a living being and not just an
image in a schizophrenic’s mind. However, the urge was so strong that he
wouldn’t be able to overcome it even if he tried. It was as if he were
possessed.
He was still under Richard’s spell.
He met no surprises this time; Gina’s heart was
beating, just like it was supposed to.
Stanley took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through
his mouth. One could call it a sigh of relief, and perhaps that was what it
was.
“What are you doing?”
Stanley started and immediately got weak in the knees.
He drew himself up and, staring at the barely visible face of his wife,
replied, “I was just looking for something.”
“What were you looking for in the middle of the night?
What time is it?” Gina’s voice was sleepy and displeased.
“Half past two.” Stanley started walking to his side of
the bed. “Never mind. I’ll find it in the
she’s a replica, she’s the most authentic looking replica I’ve ever seen, he thought to himself.
“Honey, do you remember being born?” Stanley asked in a
nonchalant tone.
“What?” Gina shifted her eyes from the TV to Stanley.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“Do you remember being born? I’m just curious.”
“No, I don’t. I doubt anyone remembers that.”
“Do you remember your childhood at all?”
Gina took a sip of water from her glass and thought for
a few moments. “I remember going to some lake with my mom and her boyfriend. I
was nine or ten. I had a lot of fun there. I swam, lay on the sand, drank a lot
of soda. That guy took us to that lake every two or three weeks the whole
summer.” She cracked a smile. “I don’t know why I even remember this.” She gave
Stanley an inquiring look. “What do you remember from your childhood?”
“Not a lot. I remember fighting some guy in the
schoolyard when I was in the sixth grade.”
“What did you fight over?”
“I forgot. Maybe he called me a name. I got beaten up
pretty bad, but I managed to throw a few good punches, too.” Stanley began to
tap his fingers lightly on the table. “When was the last time you had flu? Do
you remember that?”
“Flu? Why are you asking?”
“No reason. Just popped in my mind.”
He moved his tongue inside his mouth. The chicken was
delicious. And the rice was delicious, too. There was no way this marvelous
food was imaginary.
“I think when you’re married to a doctor, you get sick
less often than other people,” Gina said.
Stanley brought his left hand before his eyes. High
definition dream , he thought as he examined the friction ridges, lines, and
wrinkles on his fingers and palm. This hand must be real. It was ridiculous to
even consider doubting that.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because of all the good habits you pick up and the bad
ones you quit.”
Later that night, when they were in bed in their
pajamas, preparing to go to sleep, Stanley cocked his head as if he’d recalled something
important and asked, “Honey, where did you park when you came to see me at work
a month ago?”
“In the parking lot.”
“Was it the parking structure or the parking lot?”
“I didn’t know there was a parking structure there. Is
it close to your building?”
Staring affectionately at his wife, Stanley put his arm
around her shoulders, kissed her, and said, “Never mind.” He kissed her again.
“I love you.”
10.
He woke up around two in the
morning. The image of Juicy Couture’s smashed window immediately emerged in his
mind. Then Stanley quietly slipped from under the blanket and proceeded to do
another preposterous thing.
His palms sweaty, he pressed his ear against Gina’s
chest and, holding his breath, listened for the heartbeat. He hated himself for
doing this. He would burn with shame if someone saw him right now. Somehow
Stanley was sure that it would be easy to guess what was going on here: a
college-educated man is checking if his wife is a living being and not just an
image in a schizophrenic’s mind. However, the urge was so strong that he
wouldn’t be able to overcome it even if he tried. It was as if he were
possessed.
He was still under Richard’s spell.
He met no surprises this time; Gina’s heart was
beating, just like it was supposed to.
Stanley took a deep breath and exhaled slowly through
his mouth. One could call it a sigh of relief, and perhaps that was what it
was.
“What are you doing?”
Stanley started and immediately got weak in the knees.
He drew himself up and, staring at the barely visible face of his wife,
replied, “I was just looking for something.”
“What were you looking for in the middle of the night?
What time is it?” Gina’s voice was sleepy and displeased.
“Half past two.” Stanley started walking to his side of
the bed. “Never mind. I’ll find it in the
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