Work Text:
It's late September, somewhere in the suburbs.
She lies in their bed falling in and out of sleep.
the dawn turns into morning as the sun scorches the grass.
Soon he gets up
she doesn't move she just lies still on their bed, watching her husband getting ready, slowly falling back to sleep.
He is as loving as she is devoted.
He lets her sleep,
he doesn't eat breakfast never did.
it's a waste of his precious hours as he says.
He kisses her forehead leaving the rooms,
she stays still, eye closed. She doesn't open her eyes till she hears the garage doors closing.
She lies there watching the ceiling fan turn as the car drives away.
She's a devoted wife, she doesn't leave the house.
And even if she did theres nothing she wants to do outside.
The clock on the wall keeps ticking and soon she is up making her way towards their bathroom,
She sees the mirror it's the same face like every time.
Outside, the sky is now grey and air is sticky,
There are flies outside mucking the window she should get rid of them but she won't,
They are her only friends after all.
She loves her husband like any other wife,
She yearns for him like any other wife would yearn for her husband.
She like any other wishes that he didn't had to go to work after all what is there to her life if not him.
She washes off.
Getting ready, and unready again and again,
Till she finds something that is acceptable or feels acceptable, well to her.
She goes out, even though as much as he likes she can't stay home forever, it won't be good for his- their image.
As much as she deny Mrs. Savana is one of the nicest of all the ladies, and as much as she would like to deny it but the look in her eye will always scream pity.
But she is a nice lady, she invites everyone at her house for tea time.
(name) knows she's been damned but others don't know,
and they don't have to know or even understand,
no they don't
To others she is just a devoted wife, too in love with her husband and too concerned for him.
They know how,
She stays home and makes his dinner.
And even,
The way he somehow keeps getting thinner.
She says,
He must be skipping his lunches.
What else could be the answer.
And they worry,
Worry for her.
The laundry is next,
And she just sits on the floor just watching,
Watching the machine spin 'round and around again.
Soon the day passes by,
He is home.
Like any other wife she greets him at the door,
And like any other husband he kisses her forehead, half hugging her as he places his things down.
He doesn't hit her, cause why would he after all she is dressed the way that feels perfect to him.
Well only for today.
They eat dinner, well he does,
The tea snacks still has her full.
He relaxes.
She cleans.
Like any other normal family.
a few days passed in their perfect life,
Today was a new day but ritual was the same as usual.
To him, she is a doll, a perfect little doll.
She is to him the way a Barbie is to a little girl.
The girl dresses the Barbie the way she likes, the way she feels is perfect.
But ofcourse, the perfect look of one day might not the the perfect look for another.
The same way a girl dresses her Barbie for herself not for the Ken doll or even their other barbies, as the lack of a Ken doll was never a big deal.
he wanted her dressed in the same way for him, not for the other kens and definitely not for the other barbies, just for him.
"(name), you there?"
"Yeah."
"Just ask him at the dinner"
"He doesn't like talking during dinner"
"How about when he comes home?"
"..."
"Look I know you don't wanna piss him off but mom's pressuring me, it's been almost 3 years to your marriage-"
"3 and a half."
"Look it doesn't matter. Just ask him if he would like to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family or something- *Sighs* just get him home even for a day, then he can handle mom himself and she would probably get off my back too"
"Why doesn't she ask herself, he is her son after all"
"I knowwww, it's just tha-"
"Listen, I'll call you later, I have to go. He will be back soon and I also have to get ready"
"For what"
"There is a party at one of his colleague's house"
"Fine. call me later"
"I will... Bye"
"hm"
Hanging the call she rushes upstairs,
Unlike other days, He today told her how to look.
The only thing she needed to do was try and hide,
Hide her concussion.
Cause she of all people should know not to wear something that doesn't please him but blame her luck she didn't, well not yesterday she didn't.
To anyone who would notice,
The concussion would always be because of her clumsiness.
Well it was.
But to them she probably accidentally hit head by one of the cabinet doors again,
Definitely not because another one of the vases fell mercy to her head by his hands.
The hands of her sweet and loving husband.
Though unlike yesterday it never end with just a vase,
But as days were passing by so was health,
He was going weaker day by day.
With these reminders of his very fading health, she always thanked his sister and the good coffees she makes for him in the office for his lunch breaks.
And not to mention her own delicious cooking he loved even more than his mothers.
She knew it's just a matter of days till she would be dressed in Black.
With all these thoughts she stands happily at the door, ready to be showed off at the party like a prized possession.
He comes home right on time.
He always did.
Moving close he admires her and kiss her forehead
Or to be specific her concussion.
They leave right after he changes.
They arrive on time, And fell in their places.
Him with his colleagues,
Her with their wives.
The wives complaining about their incompetent husbands,
But (name) knew better,
She just gushed about her husband,
They believed she was newly wed,
But she clarified, ofcourse she did.
With gushing she ofcourse very slyly mention his fading health, asked opinions, advice,
Even though she knew she wouldn't follow them but she must maintain the act, the act of a concerned wife.
Or a facade,
If you wanna call it that.
The night soon quietened down.
A new day started and end,
Again and again.
Till it all fell into place.
The routine cracked,
As he took his last breath.
She shed tears,
Big big tears.
A loving devoted wife who care too much for her husband was now widowed.
The neighbours tried consoling her, they pitied her, all but Mrs. Savana, she knew what happened and she knew it was for the best.
But oh the others, they still pitied widowed, some even sent consolation flowers,
Such oblivious creatures.
His family too came to mourn and soon left.
But his sister stayed,
Cause who else would take care of her brother's widowed wife,
After all the evidences were still in the house.
His sister soon fully settled in with her,
After all she was a caring 'sister-in-law'.