His Love Letter

 The alarm clock displayed 1:11. Maggie was startled awake by the thunder and lightning striking outside her window. “Not again…” she moaned. Reaching for the lamp on her nightstand next to her bed, she turned it on, but nothing happened. 

Climbing out of bed, she slipped into her warm pink slippers. Grabbing her white terry cloth robe wrapping herself up in it, she stumbled in the dark, almost falling over Sam to flip the light switch on the wall, but there was still no light. Meowing his disapproval, Sam ran away into the shadows.

The breaker box was in the attic. Maggie would have to go and flip switches on it, to restore power to her home. Her daughters and grandkids weren’t going to help her. They lived far way in Texas and California. Her nearest neighbor was at least five miles away closer to town east of her.

Maggie moved slowly across the floor. Opening the door of her bedroom, she opened another door to her long narrow attic. It housed all her old clothes, a stereo her grandfather had left her, a microwave, papers, photo albums, a potter’s wheel, paintings, and the yo-yo.

Tyler’s yo-yo.  She had stolen it from him when he was eight years old. She was seven years old at the time.

Maggie had loved playing each day with Tyler. He was kind. He spoke softly. He shared his cars, marbles, and even his yo-yo.  The last day, she had played with him, Tyler showed her a trick with his yo-yo. He made a giant hand motion and positioned the toy just so, to make it look like he was walking it across the floor as it swooped down. He called it, “Walking the dog.” Maggie was fascinated.

In the dark attic, she held the yo-yo. Staring at it, she dropped it in the pocket of her robe. Reaching over to the breaker box, she flipped a switch on and restored the power to her home, but not her heart.

Closing the attic door behind her, Maggie walked downstairs.

Sitting at the dining room table, she pulled out the yo-yo from her pocket. Looking at it once again, but in the light. She could see scars on its sides. The little yellow yo-yo had a note housed inside of it. She opened the top, and read:

“Dear Mag,

I love you.

Tyler.”

Maggie had long forgotten Tyler by the time she was sixteen. She went to dances like all the girls her age. She graduated high school. She went to college. She met a man. She dated him. She fell in love. She married him.

Carl was quiet. He was a carpenter. He loved her and they had a great life together until one tragic winter when there was a snowstorm. He went out to get some groceries before the storm got worse but did not make it back. Instead, two hours later, a policeman was knocking on Maggie’s door to explain to her that Carl had been killed instantly in a crash. Maggie dealt with it the best way she could.

As the years passed, the girls, Katie, and Shelly, grew up. They got married and moved away.

Maggie did not get remarried. She owned and enjoyed working in her knitting shop in town instead.

 Maggie put the yo-yo back in her robe pocket and hung it over a chair and went back to bed.

 She dreamed, but strangely enough she couldn’t remember what. There were tears in her eyes upon waking, and suddenly, her small beach house by the sea felt lonely.

 Determined to have a good day, she put a smile on her face and showered and dressed in a pink blouse, black slacks, and flat black shoes. Grabbing a donut and a small cup of orange from the kitchen, she walked out the door and climbed into her turquoise thunderbird, she drove into town.

 Unlocking the door to her shop, Maggie set up the register for customers that would arrive and possibly purchase new yarns and explore patterns. After which, they would sit and knit at the big table in the back of the store and revel in each other’s knitting while talking about the latest news.

Flipping the sign over to open, Maggie did not have to wait long, as the women began to drift into the shop.

Samantha, Carrie, and Kylie went straight to the “Just In” table and touched the soft chunky yarn, that practically screamed, “You need me!” The yarn was perfect for hats, scarves, cowls, and sweaters. They each picked up at least three skeins of the new yarn and went to look at the patterns in the back by the clearance shelf.

Maggie walked back to them. “That was quite a storm we had last night. I lost power. How was it where you are at?”

Samantha looked up from the knitting book she was looking at. “We had a tree down and a few limbs fell. It’s going to take a while for my husband to get that cleared up.”

Kylie cleared her throat, “Oh my gosh, the power went out. You would have thought a tornado was coming the way my kids screamed and hollered over a little lightning strike. It took me at least thirty minutes to get them all calmed down and the dog to stop barking.”

“I see we all had quite a night,” Maggie said, as she watched Joanne, Hazel, and Melinda walk through the door. They went straight to the “Just In” table like the other customers and then back to visit with them.

Maggie heard the phone ring, so she went to answer it. “Purls Are a Girls Best Friend Shop, how can I help you?”

A pause on the other end of the line, “Maggie Thompson please,” said a young woman’s voice.

“Yes, this is she.” Maggie replied.

“There has been a car accident. The elderly gentleman is here at our hospital in town is asking for you.”

Maggie’s eyebrows rose. She didn’t think she knew any man that would be calling her.

 The young lady continued, “It’s a Mr. Tyler Frank. He really wants to see you. I am sorry to bother you. If I have the wrong Mrs. Thompson, I will hang up and let you get on with your day.”

“No, you have the right Maggie Thompson. I recognize the name. I haven’t seen him in years… I will be there as soon as I can.”

Maggie hung up the phone. She looked back at her customers. She sighed. Joanne got up and came over to her.

“What’s wrong, Maggie?” The depth of concern in her voice was so Joanne.

“Tyler is here,” Maggie said in almost a whisper.

Joanne had never heard of Maggie speaking of any man since Carl’s death, so she waited.

Maggie looked over at Joanne. He was a friend of mine when I was only seven, but then he moved away from the little town I grew up in Idaho. I thought I would never see him again.

Joanne knew Maggie was hiding something, but she didn’t dare dig any deeper. Obviously, the man I had made an impression on her old friend. Maybe a first love? “You ought to go and see him then,” Joanne practically pushed her out the door.

“But the shop!” Maggie cried.

“I got it, “Joanne smiled.

Maggie knew she could count on her old friend. She had helped run the shop in the past when doctor’s appointments had been scheduled or other events that she didn’t expect to have magically appeared. “Thank you, so much, Joanne.”

“No problem,” Joanne waved as she closed the door and went back to the others in the store.

Maggie hurried to her car and tried not to speed down the road to town. She wanted to see him but wanted to get there in one piece. Besides, the local policeman loved giving speeding tickets. She didn’t want one.

The breeze felt great against Maggie’s neck. It was sunny outside, but not hot. The palm trees swayed gently back and forth in the breeze coming off the Atlantic.

She hadn’t seen Tyler in years. What would he be like now? Would he be an old, withered man? Was he on his deathbed? Is this why he was thinking of her now?” She told herself to stop overthinking and relax. She would soon know the reason for his sudden interest in her whereabouts.

Maggie parked and went into the hospital. The nurse on duty looked up from her station. “May I help you? “she said.

“Yes, um… I am looking for Tyler Frank. Someone called me and told me, that he wants to speak to me,” Maggie said with a bit of apprehension.”

“One moment,” the nurse lifted the receiver, hit a button, “She’s here,” was all she said. For a moment she waited and then she hung up. “He is ready to see you. Go up to the fourth floor, go left, and he’s in room 402. It’s the Cardiology wing.”

“Thank you,” Maggie said and left. She spotted a nearby elevator and took it to her desired floor. Room 402’s door was closed. She knocked.

“Come in,” a smooth southern style man’s voice answered back.

Maggie pushed the door open. There Tyler was in bed almost all covered up by a warm blanket and a newspaper. He had been reading earlier. He was still handsome, but a grown man. His brown eyes smiling at her.

“I don’t know if you remember,” he began, “but I remember you, Mag.” He smiled. “I know you might think my request to see you is a little weird. We haven’t seen each other since we were kids. Do you have some time to talk?”

Maggie smiled, “I remember, so much has changed since we were little.”

Tyler smiled, “The doctor says I need surgery. My heart is getting a transplant. I am going to be put under. They need someone I know here in case I don’t wake up. It seems everyone I loved and knew besides you, died long ago.”

Maggie felt tears from her eyes starting to fall. “Your parents and sister? A wife? Kids?”

Tyler scratched his chest with his right hand. “My parents and sister died when I was twenty-five. I was on a job interview when a policeman called me on my cell to inform me, that their cruise ship hit an iceberg in Alaska and sank. There were no survivors. As far as a wife goes, well I married Sara. We were very happy, but there were no children. Two years ago, she passed away due to cancer. Despite my misfortunes, I have lived a happy life up until now. I am the CEO of my company. If all goes well, I’ll live another twenty to forty years. I saw your picture in the newspaper for the” Purls Are a Girls Best Friend Shop” I thought on chance it might be you. It was your eyes that gave you away.” Tyler smiled.

Maggie smiled. “Wow, I can’t believe you remembered me after all this time. I am sad to hear about your family. I think you look great, well except for your left arm in the sling dangling from the ceiling. I guess as we get older, we develop a few hiccups. I am sorry to hear you got a bad ticker. Of course, I will stay and see you through it.” Maggie’s heart was pounding. She could feel the old butterflies stirring. She could remember her first kiss with him. They were hiding behind the old couch in the den looking for an old matchbox truck.  Tyler had leaned over and planted a kiss smack on her lips. It was soft and gentle. She blushed. She looked up at him. 

Just then the knock on the door woke Maggie up from her little daydream.

“Excuse me. It’s time Mr. Frank got his vitals taken and so forth. Can you step out into the hall for a few minutes? There is a chair there you can rest on,” said the young, but a bit perky nurse.

“It won’t be long,” Tyler moaned back.

Maggie went out. She took the time to go use the restroom and then grab a snack from a vending machine afterwards. Not soon after sitting down in the chair outside his room, the nurse came out. “He’s all done. You can go in. Don’t do anything to get his heart up and racing. He’s not as strong as he looks right now,” winked the nurse. Her blond ponytail swayed as she walked away with every bounce in her step. 

Maggie went back into the room. She sat in a recliner by his bedside. His head was now resting on a pillow. He looked up as he saw her. He spoke. “Anyway, Maggie, the surgery is scheduled for tomorrow in the morning at seven. I don’t expect you to stay the rest of today. I know you probably have a few things to tend to. After the surgery, and they have released me, I would like to catch up a bit more with you. Say maybe go to lunch if that is alright? What do you say, Mag?”

Maggie sighed, “Oh, you are right, but I hate leaving you this way. It’s been forever since I saw you last.”

Tyler smiled. “I know you need your sleep too. Please be here at six thirty. I’ll see you as they wheel me into surgery. Thank you for doing this for me. Give your old friend a hug.”

Maggie blushed, “Of course, Tyler. I’ll be here.” She hugged him and then left his room. Going back down the elevator, she stopped and talked to the nurse about the next day’s schedule and filled out a couple of papers, they made out for the person considered next of kin, in case the worse should happen. (Maggie hoped that wasn’t the case.) She did so and left the hospital.

It was still pleasant outside. The drive home was nice.  

At home, she poured herself hot chocolate. She smiled. Not at Tyler’s misfortune, but the fact that he was back in her life. For how long she wasn’t sure.  Looking at the clock, she realized that the shop was now closed. She was hungry. She took out a tv dinner from the freezer and cooked it in the microwave. After it stood for five minutes, she ate it and went upstairs. Brushing her teeth, and then climbing into bed, she turned on the television and started to watch a movie. Fifteen minutes later, she was fast asleep.

At midnight though, the phone rang startling from her sleep. The nurse on duty said Tyler had some problems during the night, but now he was resting peacefully again.

Maggie was alarmed, but she knew if she didn’t get some sleep, then she would be in no condition to see him in the hospital in the morning, so she went back to sleep.

At five am, her alarm went off. She got up and got ready and off to the hospital she went with breakfast sandwich in hand. She scarfed it down and arrived at the hospital just in time to see Tyler out of his room on the gurney. The nurses carried him off to surgery. He saw her and waved and “whispered… see you later.”

One of the nurses called out to her, “You can wait in the waiting room over there.”

Maggie worried the whole time about her friend, but soon a nurse came out to tell her that Tyler was fine. He was asking for her.

Tyler smiled up at her. “Thank you for sticking around. The doctor says I should be good to leave on Friday. Can I meet you for lunch at the café over there?” He pointed out the window at “Gingers” a place Maggie knew well. “Yes, I can be there,” she smiled. “I’m glad to see you again and that everything went well for you, Tyler. I would very much like to see you once more before you take off to wherever you are going.”

Tyler smiled, “I will see you there then. We can catch up a bit more.”

Maggie went to work after her visit with him and got the girls caught up on who he was. She didn’t say a lot, but JoAnne could see the spark in her old friend’s eyes. Friday, she would tend the shop again for her friend.

Friday morning came. Tyler sat in a booth behind the hostess. Maggie went to sit down across from him. She had brought the yo-yo to return to him, minus the note. Tyler stood up as she sat down and then took his seat again. He looked over at her, “Thank you for coming to my rescue.”

Maggie smiled,” You are welcome. You know I couldn’t say no. By the way, I have something for you.” She took out the yellow toy out of her purse and put it on the table in front of him.” She waited a moment. “I ah, took it from you. I am sorry. I meant to give it back to you the next day, but then you didn’t show up. My mother told me you moved.”

Tyler smiled and reached for the yo-yo. “I see you found the note” and then he looked a bit longer into her eyes, “You know Mag, the years have gone by, but I still feel the same way. Do you think an old goat like me has a chance now?”

Maggie laughed, “Maybe… Are you sticking around this time?”

Tyler clapped her hands.” Yes.”