If you haven’t caught up with Parts one, two, and/or three you should do that now. Today is the conclusion to our little story. Onto the telling…
The WOMAN woke up that morning and peered into the room housing her cans. She saw the gleaming little eyes of the rats who had taken up permanent residence in her waterlogged little room. She clutched her robe closer to her body; now there was a draft. She thought about going to get one of those cans. She thought about defending herself from the rats with a pushbroom. She thought about carefully avoiding the rust from the cans. The more she thought about it the more tightly she clenched her robe. She turned to her living room instead and headed for the phone. She dialed.”Hello,” she said. “Could you help me with my cans today? Thank you. Bye.” She set down the phone and relaxed. A slight smile crept up onto her face and remained.
She sat like this until there was a knock on the door. “Hello?” She headed for the door and opened it to find the person who had volunteered to help her yesterday. “Where are they?” The young woman was determined. The WOMAN just pointed into the rotting room with rats and rust. The young woman began sweeping and cleaning. The rats scurried out of the room and out the front door. The young woman opened the drapes and let in the sunshine. She spend the rest of the morning moving the cans from the rotting room into the kitchen. When she was done the older WOMAN began to cry. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” The young woman replied “You’re welcome. I only wish you would have let me help you sooner.” “Sooner,” echoed the older WOMAN. “Sooner.” The older WOMAN realized, in that moment, that she had said “no” to waiting; “no” to the VOLUNTEER, and “no” to her difficulties. Why hadn’t she done it sooner?