Stress & Consequences

Walking slowly on swollen legs, Marjorie returned from her mailbox with Jack’s letter. She decided to make a cup of tea before she read the news from her son-in-law. Nancy, her daughter, was on her third round of chemo and not doing well at all, so she expected it was bad news. A nice cup of tea might soften the letter's contents.

She added some water and plugged in the cord to her electric teapot. Carefully lowering herself onto the kitchen chair, her heart began to pound, and she felt faint. Just three days ago, her doctor had assured her she was merely having anxiety attacks from too much worry. Wanting to save her children from more worries, she had not told them about her symptoms.

Determined to ignore her racing heart and believe her doctor, she put her thumb under the envelope’s flap and ripped open the seal. Unfolding the letter, she began to read.


Dear Marjorie,

Nancy insisted I write this letter instead of calling you. She thought the news would be easier this way.

The doctors have decided the chemo is doing more harm than good, and they are discontinuing the treatments. Nancy has not responded to it at all. She wants you to know she has accepted things and is at peace, and you are not to worry.


At this point, the pain in Marjorie’s chest became unbearable and everything went black.

~~~~~

Leaning against the firetruck for some much-deserved rest, firefighters Bob and Joe discussed the sad scene in front of them.

“Well, it looks like another fire as a result of negligence. We'll probably never know exactly what happened. The old lady must have plugged in the teapot and forgot it.”

“Yeah. If the neighbor hadn't come over and smelled smoke, there might not be enough left to know even that much. The fire investigators will be here soon. We might as well get going.”