Pocketful of Posies

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“You never listened to me,” said the fourth one, Rose.

“You stopped talking to me, and complimenting me,” said the third one, Daisy.

“We all have tried in our own way, but at times you were hard to reach,” that from Jasmine, my first wife. I still held her opinions high.

Violet my second wife was sitting quietly and hadn't yet voiced her opinions though I knew they would be similar. She had always been such a quiet one.

There came a knock at the door, I turned to see Doctor Johnson enter. “I can't attend right now, I am in the middle of something important here,” I said to him.

“Fine, but I do need to see you in an hour for our regular catch up, this is just a reminder, sorry to interrupt,” he said, his eyes sweeping over the arrangements before he left the room.

I turned back to the ladies all of which were looking at me. My four ex-wives sat around me, trying to help me understand how my life had come to this. Why couldn't I keep a wife for longer than a year? It was just the way things always worked out, I couldn't help it. Except for Posey, my fifth wife, we had made it a little longer, but now she was nowhere to be found.

Jasmine and I met in our early twenties, it had been great but my work took me away from her too much, then I noticed the signs, little things, you know. Jasmine said I was making it up in my head, I knew I wasn't and everything changed between us.

I moved to another state after that; found Violet next and she stole my heart. Such a beauty and the perfect little lady, quiet and always did as I asked. It could have been forever, it should have been. I preferred her to stay at home and we tried for children straight away, but nothing seem to come of it. She started getting sloppy, messy around the home. Towels not sitting straight on the rack; a spoon left unwashed in the sink. Those things that make a man feel uncared for. Soon it was over and I missed her but it was for the best.

Now Daisy, she was a whirlwind. Heady and wild like native spring flowers, bursting with vibrancy. We floated along in a lustful haze. She was sweet and warm and I loved her as much as I had loved the others; I looked forward to our life together. She took on a new role that had her working long hours. We hardly ever saw each other; she didn't need me and I felt superfluous in her life. That won't do, no man can be expected to live that way. Daisy was gone before long.

Another move; a new state and I thought I would never find love again. I wandered aimlessly for a while, missing these three amazing women. When I thought all was lost, Rose arrived on my doorstep trying to sell me cookies for her nieces. Fresh and lovely, we started dating. It wasn't long and I was walking down the aisle to meet my fourth wife. That one lasted the shortest, within six months we were fighting constantly and I wondered why we had married in the first place. I loved her but she had to go, I couldn't stand this sort of disharmony. I remembered telling her to leave and the next day there was no trace of her.

A year later I met Posey, she was to be my final one. Come what may I would make it work; I was determined to show her what a good husband I could be. I admit now I should have told her of my four previous marriages and the outcome but our home was a little piece of heaven, who would want to disturb that? Everything was wonderful, we were going to make it; none of the others had lasted a year. Posey and I were to celebrate thirteen months of wedded bliss; that's when the police arrived. Posey wailed and cried as I was lead away in cuffs. She put on a good show, I'll give her that, but I knew it was her who had called them in, she even came to see me before the trial but not since, not once since.

Posey was the key for me and the other four new it, they were all unique and I loved them, but Posey was something else entirely. She was all of them somehow, she had all of their best traits, beauty, and qualities all wrapped up in pretty paper, tied with bows of raffia. She would never come back now, what had I done that was so wrong, besides love my wives too well. If I could just get Posey here with the others all would be perfect. I sighed, the hour was almost up and I had a meeting to attend.

“Sorry ladies, I have to go see Doctor Johnson, we'll talk again later,” I sighed again as I placed the flowers: a rose; a daisy; a spray of jasmine and a brilliant purple African violet on the window sill where they usually sat. A posy they made up, but not the Posey, she deserved to be here too.

I made my way to Doctor Johnson's office and noticed the group of young doctors hustling about being given the grand tour. I lowered my head and entered the good Doctor's office.

“David, thanks for being on time, take a seat,” Doctor Johnson indicated the chair, once I had closed the door.

“No problem, just finishing up with my ex-wives.”

“You mean the flowers David? You know you were talking to flowers, don't you?”

“Yeah, of course I do, they were all flowers, beautiful flowers.” Just tell them what they want to hear. My eyes slid to the window noting the bus the visiting doctors had come in and slid back to Doctor Johnson. I leaned back in my chair sitting precariously on the rear legs; this always unnerved him.

“Great. Ah, David, if you don't mind, sit correctly please. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself.”

“Sure, we wouldn't want anyone getting hurt.” The front legs crashed to the ground echoing around the room.

“You're sliding back in your progress, I think we need to look over your medication and treatment. You know I prefer to discuss this with you, see if we can come to some sort of understanding in why this is happening.”

“I know and I appreciate that doc, I truly do. I don't know what to tell ya, I'm fine, never felt better,” I swung back onto the rear legs of the chair again, balancing there, my legs dangling.

“David...'

He was cut off as my chair tipped back and I fell heavily to the floor. Doctor Johnson flew around his desk to make sure I was alright. As he leaned over me I planted my fist in his jaw. His head snapped back, his eyes wide with shock and pain. I moved fast and grabbing the pen from his pocket shoved it into his throat taking him to the ground in the same movement. I held my hand over his nose and mouth until he stopped moving.

Grabbing the keys from his pocket I locked the door; standard procedure in an institute like this whenever the staff left their offices. I dragged the body behind the desk so no one would be able to see from the door, should they manage to get in. With some tissues from the desk I wiped up any blood from my clothes. Thinking fast I appropriated a new white overcoat from a drawer where the Doctor kept his spare ones, his name tag, security pass and my file. Scanning through the file, I found what I needed.

Posey was in a witness protection program, I promised to find her, to bring her here to be with the others. We would all live together, happily. They say I had killed the others, just their bodies it's true, their souls lived with me, they always would. The women had understood, they had said so, maybe not in words, but a man knows these things.

I checked the hallway briefly having heard a commotion and sure enough visitors including the group of doctors were heading toward the main entrance. With my new white coat, name and security tags in place I let myself out of the office and locking it again behind me. A quick glance up and down the hall realised no one thought anything out of the ordinary, no one looked my way. I quietly joined the party of visitors and shuffled along with them towards freedom.

It was so easy, just walk on out, no one checked.  My pass beeped as all the others did and once on the bus I faked falling asleep. Soon Posey, soon my love, you'll be in your rightful place.

WC:1533